Free solar panels for undocumented workers. Is this the most brilliant way to kick money back to solar manufacturers who are big campaign contributors

There are at least 11 solar panel manufacturers in California. Many with multiple factories. It's no secret that the installation rate has recently stalled. The low hanging fruit has been picked. No problem – California’s politicians have a solution: The state will buy solar panels from local manufacturers and distribute them free to migrant farm workers. (see link at bottom). Presumably the state will also pay for installation too, bringing joy to local contractors.

I have a couple of questions of course. The most obvious being: “How many migrant farmworkers are homeowners?” The article doesn’t say. Lots of citizens in California aren’t even homeowners so why do migrant farmworkers go the head of the line for solar panels? And free ones, at that?

My second question: how can a state which had a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit until last month possibly afford a solar panel giveaway, to anyone? Is this a higher priority than public schools, medical care, and filling vacant police positions?

Some readers could be asking “how much do solar panels cost in the great state of California?” That one is easy. $3.00 per watt installed. So if you want a basic 7,000 watt (7KwH) setup, that will run you north of $17,000. Yikes! This for people who can’t even vote? Oh wait . . . this is a program to benefit California's manufacturers and installers. Not people stuck with naked roofs. My bad.

I was expecting to discover that California’s panel+installation cost was over the moon. And it is pretty high – vying with Hawaii and ultra expensive places like Massachusetts and New York. And California is insanely more expensive than Florida, where I live.

Please note that I am NOT a luddite who believes solar panels are throwing hard working coal miners out of a job. I’d love it if everyone had affordable solar. I just don’t see why undocumented farmworkers go to the head of the line and get it for free.

Oh wait . . . I remember again. This is a program to benefit California's solar CEO campaign contributors. I keep forgetting that.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

California’s latest benefit to illegal immigrants: Free solar panels

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/california-s-latest-benefit-to-illegal-immigrants-free-solar-panels/ar-AA247iy5

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sunsporter1649 · 70-79, M Best Comment

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@sunsporter1649 marked as best reply.

sunsporter1649 · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Thank you for the BC

SatanBurger · 36-40, F

Not true, any farmworker can apply regardless of status which means American too. The program was originally to save energy and help agriculture. Many farmhands are migrant so the bill doesn't restrict who can get it. Furthermore there are restrictions you must own a home or have a landlord agree to participate.

1. The Real Program: LIWP Farmworker Component

The rumor stems from the Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP) Farmworker Housing Component, which is run by the California Department of Community Services and Development.

The Goal:

It provides no-cost energy efficiency upgrades and rooftop solar panels to low-income agricultural workers to reduce grid strain and lower utility bills.

The Funding:

The program is funded entirely by California’s state "cap-and-invest" carbon-trading program, which penalizes corporate polluters.

No federal tax dollars or general state income tax funds are used.

2. How the Rumor Twisted the Reality

Conservative commentators began hyper-focusing on the program's income-verification rules to build their narrative

The Twist:

To qualify, farmworkers must prove they meet low-income brackets. Because many farmworkers in California are undocumented, the state allows applicants to verify their identity and income using foreign identification or non-SSN documents (like an ITIN).

The Reality:

The program is for any low-income farmworker household that owns or rents a qualified home, regardless of legal status. It is absolutely not an exclusive "giveaway" targeting undocumented immigrants, nor is legal status a requirement to receive these climate-related utility relief upgrades.

3. The Homeownership Hurdle

The idea that undocumented immigrants are lining up to get free solar panels collapses under basic economic logic:

To get rooftop solar installed through this program, you generally must own the home or have a landlord who agrees to participate.

The vast majority of undocumented farmworkers in California rent cramped housing or live in employee housing.

They do not own the roofs, meaning very few are even in a position to utilize the rooftop solar benefit.

4. Solar Scams Fueling the Fire

Adding to the confusion is a massive wave of deceptive social media advertisements and door-to-door salespeople screaming about "Free Government Solar Panels". The U.S. Department of Energy has repeatedly warned that the government does not give out free solar panels to individuals. Private solar companies use this misleading phrasing to trick people into signing expensive, long-term solar leases. When people see these ads and combine them with headlines about California farmworker programs, rumors spread rapidly.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@SatanBurger read the link. i don't understand why people post book length replies when they never read the link.

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jackjjackson · M

Where did these folks get large enough houses to make solar panels make economic sense?

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@jackjjackson they might be squatters?

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