AB 1470
Promotes Solar Water Heating, Cutting Natural Gas Demand and Global Warming
Pollution
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed
yet another landmark solar power bill today,
the Solar
Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 (AB 1470), authored by Assemblymember
Jared Huffman (Marin) and sponsored by Environment California. At a celebratory
event at the CAL EPA headquarters, supporters of the bill touted its promise of
creating a mainstream market for solar water heating technologies by offering
$250 million in rebates for California
consumers over the next ten years.
“By signing this bill into law,
Gov. Schwarzenegger is placing yet another solar power technology in the
spotlight, harnessing for it California’s
growing demand for renewable energy,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy
Advocate for Environment California. “This bill is another way
California can
become a Saudi
Arabia of the
sun.”
The new
law launches the nation’s largest solar water heating program and promises to
bring a number of benefits to the state including reduced global warming
pollution, stabilized energy prices and lower utility bills. A
report by Environment
California
Research &
Policy
Center showed
that a mainstream market for solar water heating could cut 6.8 million tons of
global warming pollution per year, while cutting natural gas demand in each home
by 50-75%.
“Solar power represents a significant energy resource for
California,” said Assemblymember Jared Huffman (Marin), author of AB
1470. “California can achieve greater energy independence, fight global
warming, and save homeowners and businesses money by encouraging a
mainstream market for solar water heating.”
AB 1470 is the follow up to the
Million Solar Roofs bill (SB 1) signed into law by Schwarzenegger in 2006, which
creates incentives for solar electric technologies.
The
rebate fund would come from a 13 cent per month surcharge on gas bills and would
result in the installation of over 200,000 solar roofs. The
program will be implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission and
individual municipal utilities.
“Solar power can play a starring
role in California’s
effort to solve global warming by enabling homeowners and businesses to take
concrete action right here, right now,” said Del Chiaro. “Harnessing the sun is
a no-brainer, and we applaud the Governor and the legislature for their vision
and support of big, bold solar initiatives like this.”
