It's time for a solar bill of rights

Something is missing from the response to power outages, and efforts to prevent wildfires.

It would seem like the best way we can protect ourselves from outages is to simply make and store solar energy at home. More and more people are doing just this, and their lights don't ever go out.

In addition, the more people make their own energy at home, the less burden they put on the grid. That means we don't have to maintain as many power lines in fire-prone areas.

But instead of encouraging more people to install solar, utilities are attacking it with red tape and fees. The politicians just look the other way. It makes no sense.

If our politicians are going to spend billions of public dollars preventing wildfires, they should also protect our right to make and store energy on our property without red tape and fees from the utility – a "Solar Bill of Rights."

Let's free the people to be a part of the solution, instead of just propping up monopoly utilities with our hard-earned money. How can they possibly think they own the sun’s energy making power & charge for it! SDG&E, you should be ashamed.. if they keep up the fees, red tape, then the solar companies need to get people off the grid.. keep your solar, store your own solar, release yourself from the power company monopolies.. I would love to keep sending unused energy back into the grid, but we need fair prices and not extra fees.

Maybe a change in our lawmakers is in order. Stop the taxing, fee charging madness. We installed solar this year and I'm amazed at the fees..

Scott Thompson