Schwarzenegger To Unveil Compromise Solar Energy Plan

NBC 4 - House and Home - Schwarzenegger To Unveil Compromise Solar Energy Plan

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger aims to make California a world leader in solar energy with a new proposal he's sending to lawmakers Monday.

The plan, which drops some controversial provisions that doomed his 'million solar homes' proposal last year, would create a 10-year incentive fund encouraging both residences and commercial buildings to install solar power. But it would drop a requirement that half of all new homes eventually be solar powered. Those changes are designed to mute opposition from businesses and the building industry.

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"The sun shines in California -- it's homegrown. No other state or country can take it from us," Campbell said.

The goal is to have 3,000 megawatts worth of solar power by 2018, which amounts to about 5 percent of the state's entire electricity usage at peak periods -- generally hot summer afternoons when electricity is most in demand, most expensive, and when solar panels are most efficient.

That's the equivalent of 40 new, $30 million, 75-megawatt natural gas plants. One megawatt is enough to power about 750 homes.

"We will be building literally power plants' worth of solar on roofs across the state," said Del Chiaro.
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Hochschild installed solar panels on his San Francisco home three years ago, with the state's current rebate program paying about a third of the cost.

His home now feeds electricity into the power grid during the day's peak demand, and draws power at night. Because his energy supply and demand balances out, Hochschild's electricity bill last year was zero -- the result advocates and the administration predict statewide.

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I really like having a state leaders who... um... lead.

Now I want to run out and get solar panels for my house. Just think about all those wasted megawatt's. (And having a $0 electric bill would be nice too ;)

Having the Federal Government help me pay off my Honda Civic Hybrid this year was nice (via a $2K tax credit just for buying a car that gets 45-50 MPG real world highway ... what a deal). And now the State wants to pay me (via incentives) to try and zero out my electric bill?

Rock on