[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Bernadette Del Chiaro of Environment Californiawith Assemblymember Jared Huffman, and Don Miller of Conergy, a local installer and manufacturer of solar water heating systems in April promoting AB 1470, the Solar Hot Water and Efficiency Act of 2007, which just became law

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007, AB 1470 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman, which provides incentives to attain the goal of installing 200,000 solar water heating systems in the state by 2017.

This represents another giant step, in addition to AB 1, Million Solar Roofs bill passed last year, toward bringing about a mainstream solar power market in California. The bill would launch the nation’s largest solar water heating program, creating a $250 million fund to provide rebates to homeowners and businesses who invest in solar water heating technologies. Hopefully was we go, so will the nation.

“Harnessing the sun to meet our daily energy needs is a no-brainer, especially in California,"said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate for Environment California and sponsor of the bill. “Solar water heating is another way we can make California the Saudi Arabia of the sun.”