Resolution in Support of AB 2188 Solar Energy Permits

[Resolution in Support of AB 2188 – Solar Energy: Permits]

Resolution supporting a simpler and more efficient California statewide permitting process for rooftop solar systems and to help advance San Francisco’s Renewable Energy and Climate Change goals.

WHEREAS, In recent years, the City and County of San Francisco has both encouraged the development of innovative distributed generation technology and prioritized the widespread adoption of solar power as a renewable energy resource through programs such as GoSolar SF.

WHEREAS, Rooftop solar energy is a leading renewable energy technology that will help this state reach its energy and environmental goals.

WHEREAS, To reach San Francisco’s Renewable Energy and Climate Change goals thousands of additional rooftop solar energy systems will need to be deployed in coming years.

WHEREAS, To reach the state’s Million Solar Roofs goal, hundreds of thousands of additional rooftop solar energy systems will need to be deployed in the coming years.

WHEREAS, Various studies, including one by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, show that, despite the 1978 California Solar Rights Act, declaring that the “implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of solar energy systems is not a municipal affair...but is instead a matter of statewide concern”, the permitting process governing the installation of rooftop solar energy systems varies widely across jurisdictions and, contrary to the intent of the law, is both an “obstacle” to the state’s clean energy and greenhouse reduction goals and a burdensome “cost” to homeowners, businesses, schools, and public agencies.   

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Energy, through its SunShot Initiative, has distributed millions of dollars in grants to local and state governments, including California jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations to reduce the costs of distributed solar through more efficient and standardized permitting. 

WHEREAS, A modernized and standardized permitting process for installations of small-scale solar distributed generation technology on residential rooftops will increase the deployment of solar distributed generation, reduce the cost of solar distributed generation, help to expand access to lower income households, improve the ability of  San Francisco and California’ to reach their Clean Energy and Climate Change goals, and generate much needed jobs in San Francisco and across the state, all while maintaining safety standards.

WHEREAS, Residential rooftop solar energy systems have become far more uniform than in years past, enabling a standardized permitting process for the vast majority of permit seekers.

WHEREAS, San Francisco already has one of the most efficient and standardized permitting processes for rooftop solar in the state.

RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Commission on the Environment strongly supports efforts to establish a statewide standard for issuance of permits for rooftop solar energy installations, and strongly supports   AB2188 (Muratsuchi), the residential solar permitting bill; and be it,

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Commission on the Environment strongly supports the efforts to standardize rooftop solar permitting and inspections throughout the state; and be it,

FURTHER RESOLVED, That San Francisco should continue to work to improve our own permitting procedures and inspection timelines in conjunction with the state and other permitting jurisdictions; and be it,

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Commission Secretary is directed to send  a copy of this resolution to the State Legislation Committee, urging the State Legislation Committee to support AB2188 (Muratsuchi). 

I hereby certify that this Resolution was adopted at the Commission on the Environment’s Meeting on April 9, 2014.

Monica Fish, Commission Secretary

VOTE:      4-0 Approved; 3 Absent

AYES:      Commissioners Arce, Josefowitz, Gravanis and Wald

NOES:     None

ABSENT:  Commissioners King, Stephenson and Wan