While California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his action films, few knew of his affinity for the sun. Turns out he is hell bent on converting California to solar.
3.2 Billion Dollar Plan
This past week, the State of California became the undisputed biggest proponent of solar power in the United States. Faced with a growing population, limited energy sources and the occasional rolling blackout each summer season, the state really had no choice. With backing from Governor Schwarzenegger, the state has just implemented the biggest solar industry subsidiary every undertaken by a state in an effort to quell the energy crunch.
On January 12, 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission voted 3 to 1 to adopt a plan to encourage the use of solar roof systems by residents through a 3.2 billion dollar rebate plan. Known as the California Solar Initiative, the goal is to convert as much as six percent of the peak energy demands in the state to solar platforms. Put in practical terms, the goal is place solar systems on roughly one million homes in the state, particularly new homes. Approximately 15,000 homes in the state now have solar systems for...