Local Energy Rules

20 years ago, customers of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) were solar “PV Pioneers.” Now, the utility is stifling customer-owned solar, increasing fixed charges, and one third of SMUD customers can’t afford their monthly bill. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Derek Cressman and Fatima Malik, who have both run for seats on the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) board. They describe the evolution of SMUD, how the public utility is failing its customers, and share their proposed solutions. This is the full interview that was partially released in part five of The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power series. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/sacramento-municipal-utility-district-board-candidates-ler172/