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Schwarzenegger Lights Up Solar Homes Plan
SACRAMENTO, California, August 23, 2004 (ENS) – California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled legislation Friday to encourage
the construction of 1 million homes with installed solar panels
by 2017.
The “solar homes” proposal would require all builders
to offer solar power systems buyers by 2008 and would create a fund
of some $230 million for rebates on solar installations.
The California Governor said his plan would establish his state
as “a world leader in solar technology.”
"This proposal is about smart, innovative and environmentally
friendly technologies that will help improve the state's ability
to meet peak electricity demand while cutting energy costs for homeowners
for years to come," Schwarzenegger said.
The legislation maintains the basic structure of financial incentives
combined with standards for the building industry as proposed by
CALEPA earlier this month.
It would lift the current net metering cap to 5 percent peak energy
demand, allowing homeowners to sell excess electricity back to the
grid.
Environmentalists support the concept, but say the proposal requires
some revisions to gain their full support.
"When all is said and done, the measure of success should be
whether this bill puts us on track toward accomplishing the governor's
goal of building half of all new homes with solar power," said
Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate for Environment California.
"While this new language is not as strong as the CALEPA proposal,
if some of our concerns are address, it would still create the nation's
first robust solar homes initiative."
Funding for the Schwarzenegger plan would be drawn from existing
state funds for renewable resources.
The CALEPA proposal, in contrast, required $100 million solar per
year fund be created as well as a backstop requiring the building
industry to begin building solar homes by 2010.
"Ultimately, the governor has personally involved himself
in this issue which has made a tremendous difference and we look
forward to continuing to work with him and the legislature to make
sure that California grows its solar homes market," said Del
Chiaro. "The governor's leadership will remain critical to
ushering the bill through the legislative process. A lot can still
happen in the eleventh hour."
* * *
John Bennett
Executive Director,
Climate Action Network - Canada
412 - 1 Nicholas Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7
Phone 613 241 4413
Fax 613 241 2292
Cell 613 291 6888
E-mail aajb@magma.ca
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