Quick late edition before you head out. On Tuesday I told you Freedom Forever claims were due Friday. It’s Friday. The PSPS watch I mentioned also got a lot bigger, and PG&E put out its plug-in solar rules this week.
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1. Today is the last day to file a Freedom Forever claim.
The Temecula installer’s Delaware bankruptcy (case 26-10522) was converted to Chapter 7 liquidation on Aug 7, 2026. General creditors have until today, Fri Oct 16, 2026, to file a proof of claim. Government creditors get until Feb 3, 2027. A claim already filed in the earlier Chapter 11 normally carries over, so there’s no need to file it again. Claims go through the Kroll claims site (https://restructuring.ra.kroll.com/FreedomForever/) or through the court. Filing does not guarantee any money. The court has also cleared finance partners to step in and finish stranded installs. The loan, lease or PPA stays with the finance company, and the homeowner keeps paying.
Sources: BK Alerts · Kroll claim info · Servoflows tracker
2. The PSPS watch turned into the biggest shutoff since 2020.
PG&E’s Oct 14-17 shutoff went live. Friday morning, NBC Bay Area reported that PG&E had cut power to nearly 80,000 customers statewide. That’s the largest PSPS since 2020. The Sacramento Bee had it at about 86,000 out, with some restoration estimates running into Saturday. East Bay restoration (about 6,200 customers) moved up to around 4pm Friday. North Bay moved to around 7pm. Affected counties (29, per PG&E's 8 a.m. Friday update, 85,905 customers out): Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba. Some residents asked why they lost power when it wasn’t even windy where they live.
Sources: NBC Bay Area · Sacramento Bee · PG&E outage alerts
3. PG&E published its plug-in solar rules.
On Oct 14, PG&E put out guidance for plug-in solar under SB 868, which takes effect Jan 1, 2027. The cap is 1.2 kW per dwelling. From Jan 1, 2027 through Jan 1, 2030 these systems are exempt from interconnection. The customer still has to notify PG&E with their address, make/model and system size. The online form opens Jan 1. Until then, send notices to [email protected]. Look for UL 3700 certification. No fees. No backup power in an outage, because the system shuts itself off. No bill credits for exports. If you add batteries, it still needs full interconnection. Dwellings only. PG&E estimates roughly $50 to $800 a year in savings for 1.2 kW. It’s still figuring out how plug-in fits with existing rooftop solar, NEM and NBT.
Source: PG&E Currents
At the door
Freedom Forever. You’ll hear this one most in the IE, OC and San Diego. If a homeowner brings it up, stick to what’s public. Today is the general deadline. Claims get filed on the Kroll site. A claim from the Chapter 11 usually carries over. Filing doesn’t guarantee money. Then stop there. No legal advice, and don’t trash the company. The question that matters to any buyer is simple: if your installer folds, who services your system?
PSPS. A lot of homeowners up north just spent days without power, and some of them never saw any wind. Keep it simple. Solar without a battery goes dark in a shutoff. A battery can back up the home. Never tell anyone their street is next. If you plan to quote live numbers, check pge.com/pspsupdates first. The counts moved all week.
Plug-in. Someone’s going to ask about the balcony panels. Give it to them straight. It isn’t live until Jan 1, 2027. For renters or people without a usable roof, it’s an honest option. But after this week, what matters is that it gives no backup in an outage and no credit for exports. If they want backup and control over their bill, rooftop solar with a battery is still the answer.
Before you head out
The doors that matter this week belong to two groups: homeowners who just sat through a shutoff, and homeowners stuck with a stranded install. If you know where those doors are before you park, you’ll have more real conversations and waste fewer knocks. Run a free KnockGenius scan and start your day on the right streets: https://knockgenius.com/free-scan