Elon Musk recently called for "literally" getting rid of all subsidies in federal infrastructure legislation. Just don't come for California's solar incentives.
In a tweet Tuesday night, the Tesla CEO criticized a proposal that would levy new fees on Californians who install rooftop solar as a "bizarre anti-environment move."
Musk shared a link to a Tesla website where people can send a message to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Public Utilities Commission, urging them to reject the proposal, which would impose new "grid access" fees on solar customers. "If adopted, this would be the highest solar fee anywhere in the country, including states hostile to renewable energy," the site reads.
The commission is set to consider the proposal later this month, though Newsom said at a press conference this week that changes will need to be made to the proposal before the vote.
Musk is not alone in opposing the proposal. Environmental groups including the Sierra Club have also ripped it apart. "Collectively, these changes will devastate California’s rooftop solar market, which is essential for meeting our climate goals," the group wrote in a statement.
While Musk supports these state subsidies, he struck a much different tone regarding federal subsidies last month in a discussion about electric vehicle incentives being considered as part of the Build Back Better bill. "I'm literally saying: Get rid of all subsidies, but also for oil and gas," Musk said at the time.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE