San Diego-Dozens of residents gathered outside San Diego City Hall on Monday afternoon to protest a deal that signed a 20-year contract between the city and the San Diego Gas and Electric Company.

At the same time, solar companies are working to maintain solar net metering rules, which allow homeowners to charge SDG&E for the electricity that roof panels bring back to the grid.

Tara Hammond said: “Rooftop solar reduces the bills of all taxpayers, reduces the number of transmission lines in the desert that must be paid by taxpayers, and reduces the risk of fire, which is what taxpayers must pay.” La Hammond (Tara Hammond) said, environmental advocates.

Hammond said that if passed, AB 39 will make solar purchases more expensive and stop the strong growth of rooftop solar energy seen in San Diego.

“They are doing their best to curb competition, and in this case, this is rooftop solar,” Hammond said.

“Net energy metering makes clean energy prices more than needed,” said Deborah Howard, chairman of the board of directors of the California Association of Senior Lawyers.

The utility company said it needs to change the net meter deal it reached five years ago, because payers of low- and mid-range prices are now paying the cost of updating the grid, while solar owners just use their credit lines to pay for the costs. Rooftop solar panels.

The bill will be a controversial battle in the California State Assembly because, according to former city lawyer Mike Aguirre, poor rate payers using solar panels can “maintain almost all the electricity they need, There is no need to go through public utilities at all.”

He said the signs from the state government should worry solar supporters.

Agill said: “The California Public Utilities Commission has changed from being a regulator of public utilities to a protector of public utilities.”

Currently, 16% of San Diegans’ rooftops have solar panels installed.

The proposed franchise agreement with SDG&E will be voted on on Tuesday morning. A decision on net measurement is expected to be made on Wednesday.