California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday announced the nation's Rooftop Solar Installation Project, describing it as key to achieving California's renewable energy goals.
Schwarzenegger joined Southern California electricity facility Edison officials in launching the project in Fontana, Los Angeles.
The project will place 250 megawatts of advanced photovoltaic generating technology on 65 million square feet of unused commercial buildings' rooftops in Southern California -- that's enough clean power to serve 162,000 average Southern California homes.
"These are the kinds of big ideas we need to meet California's long-term energy and climate change goals," said Schwarzenegger. "I urge others to follow in their footsteps. If commercial buildings statewide partnered with utilities to put this solar technology on their rooftops, it would set off a huge wave of renewable energy growth."
The groundbreaking solar installation project, subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission, will help California in meeting its goal to achieve 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. It will also help the state meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets.
This is electricity that produces no greenhouse gases, burns no fossil fuels and requires no new transmission lines, the governor said.
These goals are the same as the governor's Million Solar Roofs Plan, signed into law in 2006, which will provide 3,000 megawatts of additional clean energy and reduce the output of greenhouse gases by 3 million tons, equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road.
The 2.9-billion-dollar incentive plan for homeowners and building owners who install solar electric systems will lead to 1 million solar roofs in California by the year 2018.
Source:Xinhua
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