ONE GIGAWATT!: California has just reached a major milestone in renewable energy

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California's rebate program for businesses and homeowners who install solar panels has now funded enough systems to generate 1 gigawatt of electricity - a level few countries and no other states have ever reached.

California officials reported Thursday that state residents have installed 1,066 megawatts of solar systems using rebates from the $2.4 billion California Solar Initiative, launched in 2007 as a way to jump-start the industry.

For perspective, 1 gigawatt is roughly the output of two conventional power plants or one nuclear reactor. A gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts. Both are snapshot figures, representing the amount of electricity generated at a given instant.

The rebates decline over time and are now 92 percent lower than they were when the program began. But the number of applications received each year continues to rise as solar power's popularity spreads.

As a result, state officials say the program should reach its goal of funding enough installations to generate 1,940 megawatts by the end of 2016.

"It's one of the few examples of a program where, if anything, we're hitting the goals sooner than anticipated," said Edward Randolph, director of the energy division at the California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees the program.

"The costs are going down as we hoped, and the market is heading closer to self-sufficiency."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.co...p#ixzz2HiOqLawe

[Darnell 8,478]

Thank you China !

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Thank you China !

...once again. they always pull through for us.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Not political.