Solar Freedom Podcast

When houses of worship go solar ft. Mother Kelly Grace | Solar Freedom Podcast | Episode 7

SOLAR FREEDOM PODCAST: Welcome to Solar Freedom: Your home. Your roof. Your power. The podcast where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts from the Solar Rights Alliance: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.  IN THIS EPISODE: We spoke with Mother Kelly Grace Kurtz and Steve Slaten about their journey to bring the power of rooftop solar to the All Saints Episcopal Church in Riverside. They discuss the motivations behind the project, its positive effects on the community, the design and construction process, and the challenges they faced along the way. They emphasize the importance of stewardship, community involvement, and the spiritual connection between rooftop solar and caring for creation. The discussion also provides valuable advice for other faith communities considering similar rooftop solar and storage initiatives. We also had an inspiring conversation with Fatima Malik, founder and Executive Director of the Del Paso Heights Growers’ Alliance (DPHGA). She reminds us that we have the right to catch the sunshine that falls on our rooftops, just like we have the right to catch the rain. She emphasizes that rooftop solar is the people’s technology, and utility greed is all that stands in the way of this incredible resource. KEY MOMENTS and CHAPTERS: 0:49 Rooftop Solar is Unstoppable 1:32 The Government Is Ineffective at Reining in the Utilities 2:32 All the Different Types of Roofs That Can Have Rooftop Solar 3:38 Introduction to Solar Initiatives at All Saints Episcopal Church 4:59 Impact of Solar on Community and Church Programs 7:50 Transforming the Church Kitchen with Solar Energy 10:30 Designing the Solar System: Aesthetic and Functional Considerations 13:40 The Genesis of the Solar Project Idea 16:12 The Call for Sustainable Energy Solutions 17:44 The Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) 19:54 Reforming Public Utilities for Better Energy Access 21:54 Advice for Faith Communities on Solar Initiatives 30:43 Empowering Communities Through Energy Awareness 32:58 Solar Hero David 34:59 Actions You Can Take 38:59 Why Is My SMUD and PG&E Bill So Much? Greed. 42:30 We have the right to catch the sunshine and the rain 47:56 Solar Is the People’s Technology 1:01:10 Solar Gives You the Power to Control Your Own Life GET THE FULL STORY: Solar Freedom, Episode 1:  https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1] Solar Freedom, Episode 2: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2] Solar Freedom, Episode 3: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3] Solar Freedom Episode 4: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4] Solar Freedom Episode 5: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode5 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode5] Solar Freedom Episode 6: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode6 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode6] MORE BACKGROUND: The solar contract and California’s guarantee: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/] The CA State Supreme Court Decision on NEM3: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/] The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more: https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/] Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar: https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/ [https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/] Steve’s  book recommendation: “The Grid, The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future” [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/grid-9781632865687/] by Gretchen Bakke We’d love to hear your stories and questions!  Give us a call at 619-292-8740, and let us know in your voicemail that you’re calling for the podcast. We’ll select questions and stories to play on the air for each episode!

Solar Freedom Podcast Episode 6: solar consumer rights, and a walk down memory lane

Welcome to Solar Freedom: Your home. Your roof. Your power. The podcast where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts from the Solar Rights Alliance: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.  IN THIS EPISODE: We discuss takeaways from this legislative session and how to defend your solar rights with Jenn Engstrom, the State Director of the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG).  https://solarrights.org/signup/ [https://solarrights.org/signup/] The legislative session wrapped up a few weeks ago, and there’s good news and bad news: Thanks to you, your rooftop solar contracts are safe, and so is your climate credit: AB 942 did not pass. Unfortunately, a good bill also did not pass: SB 710. This bill sought to extend the existing property tax exemption for rooftop solar. We’ll have another shot at extending the exemption next year.  We spoke with Jenn Engstrom, the State Director of the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) about how to defend your solar consumer rights in California.  And we took a walk down memory lane in a conversation with Yvette, solar user and Solar Rights Alliance member, where we shared our first memories of the wonder of rooftop solar. KEY MOMENTS: What we learned this legislative session: 00:35 Jenn Engstrom, State Director of CALPIRG: 4:43 Solar Hero Gerard: 21:25 Actions you can take: 24:17 Solar Voices with Yvette: 25:53 "When people come together, we can get more done."  -Jenn Engstrom You can help build the power of the Alliance by signing up for alerts and sharing the signup link with a few people, or a thousand: https://solarrights.org/signup/ [https://solarrights.org/signup/] TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode6Transcript [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode6Transcript] GET THE FULL STORY: Solar Freedom, Episode 1:  https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1] Solar Freedom, Episode 2: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2] Solar Freedom, Episode 3: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3] Solar Freedom Episode 4: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4] Solar Freedom Episode 5: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode5 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode5] MORE BACKGROUND: The solar contract and California’s guarantee: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/] The CA State Supreme Court Decision on NEM3: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/] The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more: https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/] Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar: https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/ [https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/] We’d love to hear your stories and questions!  Give us a call at 619-292-8740, and let us know in your voicemail that you’re calling for the podcast. We’ll select questions and stories to play on the air for each episode!

Solar Freedom Podcast: solar wins, lawsuits, and batteries

Welcome to Solar Freedom: Your home. Your roof. Your power. The podcast where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts from the Solar Rights Alliance: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.  IN THIS EPISODE: We share takeaways from solar wins, explain the CA Supreme Court solar lawsuit, and answer your questions about solar batteries. https://solarrights.org/signup/ [https://solarrights.org/signup/] Your rooftop solar contracts are safe, thanks to you! In a demonstration of grassroots power, your efforts defanged AB 942, the bill that would have broken 2 million solar contracts. We dive into how you won, and where we go from here.  We also explain another rooftop solar win in the California Supreme Court, which decided that the California Public Utility Commission is not above the law, and that a lower court needs to decide if the CPUC broke the law when they created “NEM3.” And we also spoke with the Executive Director of the California Solar & Storage Association, Brad Heavner, about getting a battery, adding more solar panels to your system, and more. KEY MOMENTS: What happened with AB 942: 1:08 What the Supreme Court decided about NEM3: 5:55 Brad Heavner, Executive Director of CALSSA: 20:18 Solar Hero Dency: 50:21 Tools to take action: 52:17 “You’re using energy, and the fuel is free. The fuel is absolutely free. You’re driving around, seeing other people standing at the gas station, you know, pulling out their credit cards. And you have created your own power from sunshine. It’s really beautiful.  “ -Brad Heavner GET THE FULL STORY: Solar Freedom, Episode 1:  https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1] Solar Freedom, Episode 2: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2] Solar Freedom, Episode 3: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3] Solar Freedom Episode 4: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4] MORE BACKGROUND: The solar contract and California’s guarantee: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/] The CA State Supreme Court Decision on NEM3: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/08/07/nem3appeal/] The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more: https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/] Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar: https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/ [https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/] Six tips for buying a solar-powered battery https://solarrights.org/blog/2023/07/30/six_tips_for_deciding_if_battery_storage_is_for_you [https://solarrights.org/blog/2023/07/30/six_tips_for_deciding_if_battery_storage_is_for_you]  We’d love to hear your stories and questions!  Give us a call at 619-292-8740, and let us know in your voicemail that you’re calling for the podcast. We’ll select questions and stories to play on the air for each episode!

Solar Freedom Podcast: stopping AB 942 in the Senate + guest Loretta Lynch, former CPUC President

Welcome to Solar Freedom, the podcast where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts from the Solar Rights Alliance: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.  IN THIS EPISODE: We give you the tools to fight for your consumer rights against the red alert bill AB 942: https://solarrights.org/dontbreakthecontract-action/ [https://solarrights.org/dontbreakthecontract-action/] AB 942, authored by a former utility executive, narrowly passed the State Assembly after legislators bent the rules to ram the bill through. The bill was weakened by amendments, but not killed. The fight is still on, and opposition has continued to mount: powerful organizations have joined us in opposing AB 942, such as the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Association of Realtors, the state's largest home builders. Now, AB 942 heads to its first committee vote in the State Senate. Dave and Cailey are joined by the San Francisco-based lawyer, regulatory expert, and a former president of the California Public Utilities Commission, Loretta Lynch. They discuss how the monopoly utilities in California captured the state’s regulators, and what we can do to put the power back in our hands. This is the time to call your state Senator and ask them to vote NO on AB 942 as amended! Then share this message with three friends, or a thousand.  KEY MOMENTS: Update on the bill that would break 2 million solar contracts: 1:02 Loretta Lynch, former CPUC President: 10:49 Solar Hero Rob: 30:06 Solar Voices, the story of how solar saved Richard’s life: 34:13 Tools to take action: 32:18 "Instead of the regulator taking a sharp pencil to the utility claimed costs, they actually rubber stamp those costs without even looking at them." - Loretta Lynch TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4Transcript [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4Transcript] GET THE FULL STORY: Solar Freedom, Episode 1:  https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1] Solar Freedom, Episode 2: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2] Solar Freedom, Episode 3: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3] See how your Assemblymember voted on your solar contract: https://bit.ly/howyourassemblymembervoted-AB942 [https://bit.ly/howyourassemblymembervoted-AB942] MORE BACKGROUND: The solar contract and California’s guarantee: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/] The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more: https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/] Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar: https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/ [https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/] We’d love to hear your stories and questions!  Give us a call at 619-292-8740, and let us know in your voicemail that you’re calling for the podcast. We’ll select questions and stories to play on the air for each episode!

The fight against AB 942 is still on, with special guest Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog

Welcome to the Solar Rights Alliance Podcast, where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.  IN THIS EPISODE: We give you the tools to fight for your consumer rights against the red alert bill AB 942: https://solarrights.org/dontbreakthecontract-action/ [https://solarrights.org/dontbreakthecontract-action/] AB 942, authored by a former utility executive, narrowly passed its first committee by a 10-8 vote. The bill was weakened by amendments, but not killed. The fight is still one, and opposition has continued to mount: powerful organizations have joined us in opposing AB 942, such as the CA Association of Realtors and the state's largest home builders. Now, AB 942 heads to the full Assembly floor for a vote, and legislators are trying to rush the bill through. Dave and Cailey are joined by the President of Consumer Watchdog, Jamie Court, to discuss the amended version of the bill, and how individuals can fight for their consumer rights.  Now is the time to call your state Assemblymember and ask them to vote NO on AB 942 as amended! Then share this message with three friends, or a thousand.  KEY MOMENTS: Update on the bill that would break 2 million solar contracts: 2:27 Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdog: 13:47 Solar Hero Yvette: 31:52 Tools to take action: 32:57 "It's the most natural source of energy. It's the cheapest source, and they don't want it because they can't make money off of it. And so that self-interest is like, it's so obvious to me. It's just this cross pollination, this revolving door that breeds unbelievable corruption." - Jamie Court (24:50) TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3Transcript [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3Transcript] GET THE FULL STORY: Solar Rights Alliance Podcast, Episode 1:  https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1] Solar Rights Alliance Podcast, Episode 2: https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2 [https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2] MORE BACKGROUND: The solar contract and California’s guarantee: https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/] The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more: https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/ [https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/] Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar: https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/ [https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/] Contact us with questions! info@solarrights.org