Want The Latino Vote They Want Solar And Net Metering

Elections have consequences, and the 2012 elections certainly made Washington aware of the impact of the Latino vote. So now politicians are finally listening, what do Latino voters want? According to a new poll commissioned by the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI) and supported by CAUSE (Californians Against Utilities Stopping Solar Energy), an overwhelming majority of Latino voters (89%) have a clear preference for solar over other energy sources. Plus, 80% of Latinos in Southern California believe "state legislators should make it a high priority to increase the amount of rooftop solar energy in California." What's more, 70% of respondents support California's net energy metering law (NEM) that allows rooftop solar customers to 'run the meter backwards' and receive full retail credit for the excess electricity the panels generate. And, 60% would be less likely to vote for a candidate for political office if they opposed pro-green economy legislation including net metering for rooftop solar. Get that politicians? It's not only immigration reform that Latinos care about. They're as concerned about pollution and air quality as any other American family, and often more so when their neighborhoods are situated downwind of power plants. "As a physician, I have seen firsthand the serious health issues that my patients face due to environmental issues like poor air quality," said Dr. Luis Pacheco, co-Chair of CAUSE - (Californians Against Utilities Stopping Solar Energy) a non profit group in support of proven clean air and energy policies like net metering. "Diseases such as asthma hit our urban and minority populations the hardest, and this poll captures Latinos' support for tangible clean air and public health solutions like rooftop solar." It still surprises some folks to discover that solar is affordable for people of any income. They obviously haven't heard of solar service, often referred to as solar leasing, where there's no high upfront cost for putting solar on your roof. The homeowner just pays for the electricity, usually at a lower rate. That's why two-thirds of California home solar installations now occur in low and median income neighborhoods. Sounds great right? Why wouldn't politicians support cleaner, cheaper, renewable solar that the overwhelming majority of their constituency want? Because that other 20% includes powerful lobbying interests like the fossil fuels industry and those monopoly utilities that sell less electricity every time a customer gets home solar installed. Utilities see home solar as a threat and want to eliminate net metering, the successful policy in 43 states that industry analysts say is a cornerstone policy for continued solar growth. At the same time, the core value statement behind the net metering law is hugely popular with Latinos, as 74% agree with this statement: "If customers are required to buy power from the utility at a certain price, the utility should have to buy excess power created by customers' solar panels at the same price". Unfortunately, the utilities don't agree. They don't want home solar, or microturbines, or renewables, or even energy efficiency. They simply want to maximize their profits by having to build more infrastructure to sell you more of their power, not let you make your own. So be sure to join the CAUSE, and let your representatives and neighbors know that you support net metering and cleaner, cheaper renewable energy solutions like home solar in your neighborhood.SHARE AND ENJOY * Facebook * Twitter * Delicious * LinkedIn * StumbleUpon * Add to favorites * Email * RSS The post Want The Latino Vote? They Want Solar and Net Metering appeared first on Massachusetts Solar Finance.