Employees of Solar Forward install solar electric panels on a residential rooftop on Feb. 27, 2009 in Santa Monica, Calif. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Governor Schwarzenegger said a few weeks ago that he wants California to get a third of its power from sustainable and renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.
With that in mind, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the largest utility company in California, proposed last Monday to get more solar power, which could increase the usage of residential rooftop solar panels. One percent of the electricity in California was generated by solar power last year.
In a statement made to the Associated Press, Gov. Schwarzenegger said, "We should encourage people to do everything that they can to put solar on the roof.”
The utility company's proposal still has not been approved by legislators.
Aside from residential solar power, PG&E says it will buy 500 megawatts of power from NextEra Energy Resources and Abengoa Solar plants that are to be built on federal land. The project, known as Genesis, which will be functional by 2013 and 2014. NextEra says it will spend about $1 billion on Genesis, which will be built near the Coachella valley in Southern California.
Fong Wan, the Energy Procurement Vice President at PG&E said, “Through our agreement with NextEra Energy, we will significantly increase the amount of clean, renewable energy we provide to our customers in the years to come."
The project, approved by Gov. Schwarzenegger and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, is estimated to provide power to around 80,000 homes.
PG&E also wants to purchase energy from a solar plant that will be located in San Bernardino County.
For many years, California has been at the forefront of dealing with environmental issues and a leading supporter of renewable energy. The resolution signed last month to increase renewable energy could prompt a significant increase in green jobs and entrepreneurship in the coming years.
