Energy
CA’s solar tax supporters are trying to run a “wealthy vs disadvantaged” narrative: It doesn’t have to be
A look at the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) ‘s 204-page proposal for its proposed new net metering rules (NEM 3.0), as well as the comments of the initiative’s supporters, shows something interesting. Supporters of NEM 3.0 are arguing that the current net metering rules, NEM 2.0, are practically an assault on disadvantaged households and a multi-billion subsidy for wealthy homeowners.
This narrative could be found all over the CPUC’s NEM 3.0 proposal. In the document, the commission argued that the existing net energy metering tariff “negatively impacts non-participating customers; is not cost-effective; and disproportionately harms low-income ratepayers” since homeowners without solar are being shouldered with the price of maintaining the grid. A study of the state’s policies further noted that California ratepayers spent about $3 billion a year to support net metering.
As critics of the initiative, such as Tesla and other renewable companies and organizations in the state, launched efforts to combat the NEM 3.0 proposal, organizations supporting the CPUC’s proposal have adopted a pretty similar stance. Affordable Clean Energy for All, a coalition of groups that include open NEM 3.0 backers like Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric, has been particularly active in pushing the idea that NEM 2.0 takes from the disadvantaged and gives to the wealthy.
Kathy Fairbanks, a spokeswoman from Affordable Clean Energy for All, highlighted this recently. “It’s hypocritical that people who claim to want to help disadvantaged communities are advocating to keep a regressive policy that takes from the poor and gives to publicly-traded companies to fatten their profits, increase their stock price and shareholder wealth,” she said.
But inasmuch as a “rich vs. poor” concept is compelling, such a simplistic narrative hardly addresses the issues that critics are bringing up about NEM 3.0. While there is some argument in the idea that companies like Tesla are fighting the proposal since it is involved in the residential solar business, the fact remains that rooftop solar in California is growing fastest in working and middle-class neighborhoods. Not millionaires in their massive mansions — just regular working individuals that are learning the advantages and practicality of renewable energy.
Solar Rights Alliance Director Dave Rosenfeld mentioned this in a statement last month, as critics of NEM 3.0 delivered over more than 120,000 public comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Governor Gavin Newsom. “This is where the rubber hits the road on blackouts, rising electricity bills, and air pollution. The correct path is to help millions more working and middle-class people get solar so we can keep up our progress and reject the utility profit grab that threatens to take us backwards,” Rosenfeld said.
Contrary to the idea that net metering takes from the disadvantaged and gives to the wealthy, an analysis by national grid modeling experts Vibrant Clean Energy has estimated that the continued growth of distributed energy resources (DER) such as rooftop, community solar, and energy storage, could actually save California ratepayers $120 billion over the next 30 years. “What our model finds is that when you account for the costs associated with distribution grid infrastructure, distributed energy resources can produce a pathway that is lower cost for all ratepayers and emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions,” Vibrant Clean Energy CEO Dr. Christopher Clack said.
While the CPUC seems very determined to ensure that NEM 3.0 is approved, the voices against the initiative are growing louder. Apart from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who called the proposal “bizarre” and “anti-environment,” other notable personalities have expressed their criticism of NEM 3.0 online. These include, interestingly enough, two actors who played Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk on the big screen, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, as well as basketball legend Bill Walton. California Governor Gavin Newsom also seems a bit more open-minded than the CPUC, noting that there’s more work to be done in the NEM 3.0 proposal.
“That draft plan that was recently released, I just had a chance to review, and I’ll say this about the plan: We still have some work to do… Do I think changes need to be made? Yes, I do,” Newsom recently said.
The California Public Utilities Commission may vote on its NEM 3.0 proposal as early as January 27, 2022.
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Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.
Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.
Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.
However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.
Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.
However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:
“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026.
This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.
Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.
Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:
As a Cybertruck owner who also has Powerwall, I empathize with the disappointed comments.
To their credit, the team has delivered powershare functionality to Cybertruck customers who otherwise have no backup with development of the powershare gateway. As well as those with solar…
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 12, 2025
He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”
It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.
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