Solar v. Utility Companies

Utility companies used to support solar-energy panels on the roofs of private homes, but so many roofs in California now generate so much power that the utilities are losing big money. They say homeowners who don’t have solar are paying the difference, and the Public Utilities Commission is considering proposals to make incentives for switching to solar less attractive than they are now. We consider whether there's war against solar power, and if solar-energy users are paying their fair share.

On our Reporter's Notebook, we hear about labor unions in Santa Monica that want some employers granted exemptions to an increased minimum wage.

Photo: Workers install a residential solar power system at a home in Monrovia. (Saul Gonzalez)