Supes support fire rebuilds without solar

Managing editor

El Dorado County supervisors added their names to a list of supporters championing Assembly Bill 704.

Introduced this February by District 8 Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), who represents central valley and southern Sierra Nevada counties, the proposed legislation assists those who lost their homes in a disaster — like the Caldor and Mosquito fires — by eliminating the state’s requirement that their new homes include a solar power system.

“This is a big issue because it’s anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 to put solar on these houses and they didn’t have it prior to these fires,” District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo said at the May 9 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Turnboo and District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl collaborated on the agenda item requesting the board send a letter of support to the Office of the Chief Clerk n See solar rebuild, page A7