Don’t Break the Promise: AB 942 Undermines Solar Consumer Protections

California lawmakers are considering AB 942, a bill that would retroactively change legally binding contracts held by over a million solar customers across the state—threatening core consumer protections and undermining public trust in state oversight. Vote Solar strongly opposes AB 942 for the following reasons:

1. Existing Net Energy Metering customers entered into contracts based on the understanding that contracts are ironclad; a contract represents a legally binding agreement between two parties, and the contract terms are enforceable for the length of the contract, in this case, twenty years.
2. The California Solar Consumer Protection Guide explicitly includes the length of the NEM contract to educate prospective NEM customers about the terms of the NEM contract commitment. The California Solar Consumer Protection Guide Version III informs prospective NEM customers that “…PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E customers are guaranteed NEM for 20 years from the time their solar system starts operating.”

Vote Solar Western Regional Director, Steve Campbell, issued the following statement:

“AB 942 is a direct attack on California families who made long-term investments in solar with the promise of fair, 20-year Net Energy Metering agreements—guarantees that were clearly outlined in the state’s own consumer protection documents.

“Changing the rules after the fact isn’t just unfair—it risks eroding public confidence in the integrity of California’s regulatory system. More than a million Californians signed contracts and state-issued guides in good faith, trusting that regulators would keep their word. Retroactively breaking those agreements would set a dangerous precedent for all consumer protections in California.

“Instead of pulling the rug out from under existing solar customers, lawmakers and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) should use the tools already at their disposal to lower bills and support low-income communities—like utility business model reform, reasonable income-based fixed charges, and targeted use of the California Climate Credit to focus on low-wealth customers.

“Vote Solar strongly opposes AB 942 and any effort to rewrite the rules for families who did everything right. California can lower costs and advance equity without modifying legally binding contracts and violating public trust.”