COALITION CALLS FOR MORE SOLAR POWER IN CALIFORNIA

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

New Report Shows How Solar Water Heating Can Cut Natural Gas Imports, Fight Global Warming and Save Consumers Money

Bernadette Del Chiaro with Assemblymember Jared Huffman, and Don Miller of Conergy, a local installer and manufacturer of solar water heating systems

By Bernadette Del Chiaro
Environment California

A coalition of policy makers, environmental groups and businesses launched a campaign today to expand California’s solar power market to include solar water heating, a rooftop technology that captures sunlight to reduce fossil fuel use in homes and businesses. The group gathered at the State Capitol to release a new report by Environment California Research & Policy Center quantifying the benefits solar water heating can bring to California and to call for passage of The Solar Hot Water and Efficiency Act of 2007 (AB 1470), authored by Assemblymember Jared Huffman and sponsored by Environment California.

Environment California Research & Policy Center’s new report, “Solar Water Heating: How California Can Reduce Its Dependence on Natural Gas”, summarizes the current state of solar water heating technology and outlines the significant benefits of growing a more robust market for these systems in California.

“Solar power represents a significant energy resource for California,” said Assemblymember Huffman. “California should continue to seek greater energy independence, fight global warming, and save homeowners and businesses money by encouraging a mainstream market for solar power, including solar water heating.”