Hundreds of Angelenos that have chosen to generate their own power using rooftop solar are being punished with a terrible consumer experience. After approving hundreds of solar agreements for its customers, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is trying to require customers to re-sign these contracts. This process has been extremely painstaking for the solar industry and confusing to customers. LADWP wants to have hundreds of solar customers re-sign standard agreements after adding an amendment, even though the agreements had already been approved by LADWP.
Without the re-signed contracts, LADWP is restricting these customers from moving forward in the process and interconnecting their systems to the grid. This unfair practice has been occurring for months.
LADWP acknowledges that it has approved the specific language within the lease contracts on three separate occasions, and in all cases their reviewers did not catch what they now perceive to be language that may violate the City Charter.
Hundreds of Angelenos that have chosen to generate their own power using rooftop solar are being punished with a terrible consumer experience. After approving hundreds of solar agreements for its customers, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is trying to require customers to re-sign these contracts. This process has been extremely painstaking for the solar industry and confusing to customers. LADWP wants to have hundreds of solar customers re-sign standard agreements after adding an amendment, even though the agreements had already been approved by LADWP.
Without the re-signed contracts, LADWP is restricting these customers from moving forward in the process and interconnecting their systems to the grid. This unfair practice has been occurring for months.
LADWP acknowledges that it has approved the specific language within the lease contracts on three separate occasions, and in all cases their reviewers did not catch what they now perceive to be language that may violate the City Charter.
While this specific incident, in addition to ongoing complaints of general delay, has been discouraging the rooftop solar industry, the LA region continues to receive media attention highlighting the potential for solar energy to increase jobs and reduce GHG emissions. Just last week the LA Times released an article on the employment potential of solar, citing a study by the Environmental Defense fund and UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation that predicts that 29,000 installer jobs could become available if solar panels were installed on 5% of rooftops in Los Angeles County. With constant industry complaints of delay and specific off-putting practices like those exhibited by LADWP recently on lease contracts, the region may never realize this job growth.
Solar companies are in the process of contacting council members’ offices to make them aware of the number of constituents in their districts that are extremely upset by LADWP’s actions. Interconnection continues to be delayed for too many well-meaning Angelenos.
According to its website, LADWP “aims to encourage the development of residential and commercial solar systems. Let’s move forward.