A key program for California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Million Solar Roofs Initiative is a plan to install 3000MW of solar electric power on roofs throughout California by 2016.

"The primary benefit of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative is it reduces California's power needs during hot summer weekday afternoons," said Barry Cinnamon, president of Akeena Solar.

"Without this 3000 megawatts of solar capacity, utilities must construct this generation, distribution and transmission infrastructure - as well as operate and fuel these plants. Ratepayers will ultimately pay for these costs. Solar power is a far better way to generate this capacity since the state also benefits with cleaner air and a better economy."

The main finding of Akeena's paper is that the Million Solar Roofs Initiative will save more than $US6 billion in incentives by obviating traditional power generation construction and distribution investments.

The major lobbying challenges to the Million Solar Roofs Initiative are that unions want all of the solar work done using union wages, increasing cost by $US750 million, and that it replaces conventional power generation and distribution, cutting into the profits of power utilities. These groups are applying pressure to Californian Democrats, causing the future of the initiative to be in doubt when Schwarzengger attempts to pass it in the next few weeks.

"The Economics of Solar Power for California - A White Paper" is available for download at http://www.akeena.net/about/whitepaper.htm.

EnvironmentalManagementNews.net