o ft op ▁solar - gener ating ▁customers ▁rose ▁from ▁$ 1 2 . 7 5 ▁to ▁$ 1 7 . 9 0 , ▁and ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁rise ▁to ▁$ 3 8 . 5 1 ▁by ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 2 0 ; ▁simultaneously , ▁the ▁rates ▁given ▁to ▁ro o ft op ▁solar ▁generating ▁customers ▁for ▁their ▁sur plus ▁solar ▁energy ▁were ▁also ▁cla wed ▁back ▁and ▁were ▁to ▁continue ▁to ▁decl ine ▁over ▁the ▁en su ing ▁four ▁years . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Sol ar City ▁elimin ated ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 5 0 ▁jobs ▁in ▁Nev ada . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Mus k ' s ▁car ▁and ▁battery ▁company , ▁T es la , ▁submitted ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁ac quire ▁Sol ar City ▁for ▁$ 2 . 5 – 3 ▁billion . ▁According ▁to ▁Mus k , ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁this ▁is ▁" Cre ating ▁a ▁se am lessly ▁integrated ▁T es la ▁battery ▁& ▁solar ▁power ▁product ▁that ▁looks ▁beautiful ". ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Sol ar City ▁accepted ▁T es la ▁Mot ors ' ▁offer ▁of ▁$ 2 . 6 ▁billion . ▁The ▁mer ger ▁was ▁completed ▁later ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁work force ▁reduction ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁employees ▁had ▁grown ▁by ▁ 6 8 . 7 %. ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0