Governor-backed Bill, SB 1, aims for a Million Solar Roofs in 10 Years, Making California World's Solar Leader

SACRAMENTO—Governor Schwarzenegger officially announced language aimed at achieving his Million Solar Roofs initiative and keeping the promise he made to California voters over a year ago. The language will become part of SB 1, a bi-partisan bill co-authored by Senators Murray (D-LA) and Campbell (R-Orange County).

"Hands down, SB 1 is the biggest environmental bill of the year," said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate with Environment California. "The Governor's solar promise, in the form of SB 1, will bring California cleaner air, greater energy independence, economic development and a self-sufficient solar market within a decade."

Major elements of SB 1 are:
- Require the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish a new, ten-year-fund to provide rebates for 3,000 MW of solar photovoltaic systems on a million new and existing homes and businesses. The rebate will be required to decline each year and sunset in 2016.

- Require all builders of large-scale single-family homes to offer solar power systems to homebuyers beginning in 2010. Industry research shows approximately 10 percent of California homebuyers will choose solar roofs when offered. California current builds around 1 percent of its homes with solar power.

- Raise the net metering cap- the ability for customers to receive a credit from their utility company for excess electricity generated by their solar system- from 0.5 percent of peak load to 2 percent and then an additional 5 percent after review by the PUC.

Meanwhile, tomorrow in the state's capitol, Germany's top energy policy maker who has turned Germany into the world's second largest market for solar power will speak with California policy makers at a lunch briefing in the capitol about how California could become the world's solar energy leader.

"In Germany, we have found that solar power is beneficial to our overall economy, bringing new industry, jobs and stable electric rates," said Dr. Hermann Scheer, member of the German Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe, and author of policies that have made Germany home to the world's second largest solar market, just behind Japan. "I strongly encourage California to make a solar power commitment similar to Germany and Japan. With the amount of annual sunshine and rapid economic growth, California would easily become the global leader in the solar industry."