[Scpg] Calls of Support Needed! Homes urged to go solar

[Paul Racko]

Please e-mail or call your California Assemblymember and Senator and urge
them to support this important, common-sense measure. I was really struck
last week while watching the TV news and they said that the electricity
shortage is being caused by all the new homes that are being built in
California. Doesn't it make sense that the builders and buyers of these
homes should be contributing toward solving the problems that they are
creating? Solar is the answer! - Paul

Homes urged to go solar

http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204%257E21474%257E2312121,00.html#

Officials propose $100M incentive program to be paid by utility surcharge.

By Don Thompson
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO - California officials are proposing that half of all new homes
in the state should be running on solar energy in 10 years, spurred by $100
million in annual incentives paid for by electricity consumers.
The move comes three years after the state suffered through an energy crisis
that left electric customers billions of dollars in debt as the government
took over from beleaguered utilities to buy enough power to keep the lights
on.

Environmental groups said the proposal would once again make California a
national trendsetter while spurring technical advances that would help make
solar power more affordable worldwide.

"This is so far ahead of any other state.there's no comparison," said
Bernadette Del Chiaro of Environment California. California already is the
world's third-largest market for solar technology, but would start to catch
up with leaders like Japan and Germany, she said.

A copy of the California Environmental Protection Agency's draft "Million
Solar Homes Initiative," obtained by The Associated Press, proposes that the
state give rebates to home builders who install solar panels on new homes,
and incentives for installing panels on existing homes.

The program would be paid for with a new monthly utility bill surcharge of
about 25-30 cents per household, projected to raise $1billion before the
surcharge ends in 10 years. But homeowners would be free to sell excess
solar energy back to electricity companies, leaving them with no net cost.

"Each month, the homeowner would save more money in reduced electricity
charges than the homeowner would have to pay on the solar mortgage,"
according to the draft presented by EPA Undersecretary Drew Bohan.

The combined solar installations would be the equivalent of 36 new, $30
million, 75 megawatt natural gas "peaker' plants used when electricity is
most in demand.




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