California Families Are Facing A Water Crisis and an Energy Affordability Crisis
Subject: Please Support This Smart Fix for California’s Water & Energy Crises
As your constituent, I’m deeply concerned about the challenges facing California. Extreme water shortages will force nearly 1 million acres of farmland out of production, threatening the livelihoods of our farmers. Meanwhile, families like mine are being hit with skyrocketing electricity bills.
But amidst these challenges lies an opportunity that can help us all. All that underutilized land… what if we could use that to produce more energy to help drive down electric bills with clean energy and provide additional revenue streams for farmers? That’s what AB 1156 (Wicks) is all about – this bill updates the Solar-Use Easement law by allowing lands with water constraints to be eligible for an easement and modernizes the eligibility criteria and easement terms to reflect California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act goals. The update helps align state policy goals and provides farmers with new economic opportunities for their land while advancing the state’s clean energy and water sustainability goals.
It’s a commonsense, win-win solution that will:
- Lower energy costs for families by increasing supply where it’s actually needed
- Provide a lifeline to farmers by allowing them to lease their severely water-constrained land for a solar project
- Maintains local control and oversight, ensuring water limits are reviewed by the Groundwater Sustainability Agency
- Make the grid safer and more reliable by bringing more solar energy online
This is not a cancellation of farmland protections. It’s a temporary suspension that creates an alternative revenue stream on land that can’t be farmed right now—with the option to return it to agriculture in the future.
This bill just makes sense. Why should we just let that land sit there, instead of using it to benefit us all?
As your constituent, I hope you’ll support AB 1156 (Wicks). Families like mine need relief, and this is a smart step forward. Can I expect your support?
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City, California]