The Solar Energy Industry Association issued an apology to a journalist in April for allegedly raising the prospect of taking legal action against an opinion column questioning the business practices of the rooftop solar industry.

Journalist Julianne Malveaux wrote a column in February in which she accused rooftop solar industry salespeople of making misleading pitches to homeowners about the potential financial ramifications of the technology on their energy bills and property values.

In a follow-up column in April, Malveaux alleged she had since been a target of an "intimidation campaign" led by SEIA. An association member contacted her on behalf of the group and recommended she contact SEIA's general counsel, which the journalist took as a threat she would be hit with a libel lawsuit. http://bit.ly/2qyFYz0

SEIA issued a statement shortly after the column was published saying that was never its intent. The group acknowledged Malveaux had been asked to contact General Counsel Tom Kimbis, but it noted that Kimbis also oversees the group's consumer protection efforts.

"Unfortunately, in suggesting that we were bringing our general counsel in for a conversation and in having our consultant conduct the outreach, we created an impression that we were taking legal issue with Dr. Malveaux's work," SEIA said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

"We have the utmost respect for journalists and for Dr. Malveaux's right and responsibility to call things as she sees them, and we fully expect her and encourage her to continue to do so, even if we disagree," the association added. http://bit.ly/2oXWyvg

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