With a 26 percent
increase in solar utilities in 2012, California reached the halfway
mark of its 3,000-MW goal. According to the Public Utilities
Commission, the state has enough solar panels to produce more than
1,600 MW of solar energy, good for powering around 150,000 homes.
Much of this increase is attributed to rooftop solar utilities, which
contributed an additional 400 MW to the total solar energy production
of California. Only time will tell whether or not the state can meet
its goal by 2017.
The California Solar
Initiative (CSI) is the biggest solar energy program in the United
States in terms of budget: almost $2.4 billion, mostly for rebates.
At least 30 percent of the cost of installing solar utilities is
returned to homes and business. The CSI encourages homes and
businesses all over the state to harness the power of the Sun,
contributing to a broader plan of sustainability.
For the CSI to be able to
meet its goal by 2017, the already-high demand for solar panels and
utilities must remain at its current state. With the San Onofre
Nuclear Generating Station shutting down altogether by 2014, state
officials have to make up for lost power, which amounts to more than
1,600 MW for all three reactors. Fortunately, homeowners and business
owners will have the benefit of producing their own power with solar
utilities.
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