Sierra Club My Generation Campaign

To get bring the benefits of local clean energy to every community across the state, there's a lot of work to do.

1. === CLEAN ENERGY CASH BACK PROGRAMS

Californians should be able to earn money from the sunshine that falls on their roofs and the wind that blows on their land. Sometimes referred to as a "feed-in-tariff," these programs enable customers to sell power back to their utility and get cash back for the power produced.

1. === SOLAR ROLLOVER CREDITS

Sometimes referred to as "net-energy metering," Californians can offset their own energy use by installing solar panels and "running the meter backward." Any excess power generated by the solar panels is credited back to the customer and rolled over to use during evenings when the panels are not generating power.

1. === ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The easiest way to decrease dirty energy use is to reduce overall energy demand. By using current energy-saving technology and best practices, homeowners and businesses can both cut consumption and save money. Pursuing energy efficiency also creates thousands of new local jobs for the workers who evaluate energy use and install energy-saving measures.

1. === MAKING SOLAR EVEN EASIER

As solar energy continues to become more affordable, one of the biggest remaining barriers for people who want to save money with solar is the time-consuming and bureaucratic permitting process. That's why the Sierra Club is working with cities and counties across California to simplify and streamline the permitting process for installing solar panels.

1. === COMMUNITY SUN SHARES

Community sun shares make solar energy available to people who don't own a roof for solar panels. People who live in apartments or condominium complexes can invest in a cluster of solar panels located in a shared area (such as the roof of an apartment complex or a parking structure) or even on another property.