1, 2020.įirst, never underestimate the power of unexpected alliances. In 2019, California committed to the goals of the original 2005 unamended Million Solar Roofs vision, mandating solar on all new homes starting Jan. That encouraged more skill specialization and technological development all along the supply chain, bringing down the price of rooftop solar itself, from $9.45 per watt in 2006 to $3.80 per watt in 2018. The state rebate helped bring down the upfront cost of installing solar, drawing more customers into the market. Thirteen years later, we’ve surpassed our original goal almost three times over, with 8,700 megawatts of solar installed, but at no additional cost to the state beyond the original rebate program. Sam Blakesley and Assemblymember Fran Pavley, and by strong public support in communities across the state. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s commitment to the goal was matched by champions in the legislature like state Sen. So the bill was amended to create a ten-year, $3 billion declining rebate program to entice homeowners and small businesses to go solar, with a goal of installing 3,000 megawatts of solar capacity (enough to power one million homes).Įven with those amendments, the bill still faced opposition. But builders opposed it, thinking Californians wouldn’t want to buy new houses if they were forced to absorb the additional upfront cost of solar panels. The original bill required the installation of solar panels on every new home. The goal was to help homeowners move toward energy independence, lower their electric bills, and make a smart move toward a better future. Kevin Murray of Los Angeles, who introduced a bill calling for one million solar roofs on homes, businesses, farms and schools. At the time, a skimpy 20,000 solar installations existed statewide, meeting only a tiny portion of California’s energy needs. Giant wildfires were still in our future, but we knew that solar power was a valuable part of the equation to combat the challenges of a changing world. And that’s good, not only because the Million Solar Roofs initiative grew our solar power, but also because it created momentum for new goals to repower our state and the nation with renewable energy.īack in 2005, we had already been through an energy crisis and rolling blackouts. They said California couldn’t build a million solar roofs.īut the skeptics were wrong. Arnold Schwarzenegger during an event celebrating the state’s millionth solar installation. Environment California director Dan Jacobson shares a moment with former Gov.
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