Weir, Franti & Hagar #RockTheSun at the CPUC
The fight for solar power is getting some star-power today—music legends Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Michael Franti and Sammy Hagar are holding a free pop-up set in San Francisco to stand (er, sing) in solidarity with us, celebrate solar progress and urge leaders to keep California shining with a strong net metering decision next week.
Because YOU rock, we hope to you can join if you’re in the Bay Area!
- #RocktheSun: Acoustic Set with Bob Weir, Michael Franti and Sammy Hagar
- WHEN: Sunday, January 24th at 3:00pm
- WHERE: Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy Street, San Francisco 94109
Even if you can’t be there in person (maybe you’re digging yourself out from Jonas’s fury?), you can watch online:
UPDATE!
That was awesome… After performing for half an hour, the musicians led hundreds of fans through the streets to the steps of the CPUC, where the crowd sang “Here Comes the Sun” and chanted in support of rooftop solar.
“There was a time when we would hunt whales to use their blubber to light up our street lamps and now we look back on it and it seems crazy,” Franti said. “Now we’re on the precipice of being able to have 100% renewable energy for 100% of our country. There’s going to be a time when our kids look back at us and say ‘Really?’…all when we had the sun overhead the whole time. It’s going to take all of our voices to say we want this renewable energy revolution to take place in our lifetime.”
The artists, along with speakers including racecar driver and activist driver Leilani Munter and Vote Solar Executive Director Adam Browning, encouraged the CPUC to pass its Proposed Decision on net metering, which represent a balanced path to continued solar consumer savings, local jobs, healthier communities and climate progress. The Proposed Decision is the latest step in a multi-year process that has Californians of all walks of life speaking up for continued solar progress. Supporters have delivered more than 150,000 petitions in favor of net metering, a historic level of public engagement at the CPUC. Last fall, over a thousand Californians rallied outside utility headquarters in opposition to the companies’ ant-solar proposals. In addition, more than 50 local government officials, 16 organizations representing underserved communities and communities of color as well as numerous education and teachers’ associations, agricultural businesses, faith leaders, and Native American tribal communities have formally asked the CPUC to uphold the net metering program and expand solar access.
The musicians also noted neighboring Nevada as a timely example of the importance the CPUC solar vote. The Nevada PUC’s recent decision to weaken its net metering program has resulted in the loss of hundreds of local jobs and significant new costs for residents and small businesses that go solar. The decision has put Nevada remarkably out of step with the national and international shift to a low-carbon, clean energy economy.
The CPUC is expected to vote on the fate of rooftop solar in California as early as Thursday, January 28. Want to add your voice? If you live in California, you can send an email to the PUC supporting solar progress—and Nevadans can sign the petition to right the PUCN’s solar wrong here.