Hollywood Stars Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo Also Oppose Subsidy Cuts
[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Controversy is growing over a bill amendment in California, USA, that reduces subsidies for rooftop solar panels.
According to Bloomberg News on the 12th (local time), not only Elon Musk, CEO of electric car company Tesla Motors, but also Hollywood stars such as Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, as well as Bill Walton, the legendary center of the NBA's Boston Celtics, have expressed opposition to California's subsidy reduction policy.
Norton wrote on his Twitter, "We need to raise more awareness about this issue." He added, "Now is the time for truth, and we must choose whether to renew America with technological innovation and entrepreneurial vitality or leave it stuck in an old and broken system." Ruffalo, famous for playing the Hulk, also previously expressed opposition to reducing solar subsidies. Walton is reported to have sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to oppose the amendment.
The California Public Utilities Commission plans to hold a vote at the end of this month on the 'Affordable Clean Energy for All' bill, which includes the solar subsidy reduction plan.
Currently, California offers up to an 80% discount on electricity bills to households that install rooftop solar panels in exchange for providing the electricity they produce. The amendment proposes to reduce these subsidy benefits and impose an average monthly fee of about $40 on households with newly installed solar panels.
The solar industry opposes the amendment, saying it could cripple the solar sector. Industry representatives plan to hold rallies on the 13th in Los Angeles, California, and other locations. Norton and Ruffalo shared news of the rallies on Twitter.
Tesla is conducting a petition campaign against the amendment on its website. Tesla CEO Musk shared the petition campaign on his Twitter, criticizing the amendment as a "bizarre anti-environmental movement."
Supporters of the amendment argue that households without solar panels bear higher costs, and that the amendment will allow everyone to pay fairer electricity rates.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California is reportedly in favor of the amendment.
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