Solar-powered energy rocketing up

The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is more than halfway to its goal of reaching 1,940 megawatts (MW) of installed energy by 2016.

The CSI, which began in 2007 with a $2.4 billion budget over 10 years, had installed 1,066 MW of energy by the end of last year—enough to power 100,000 homes and businesses and avoid building two power plants, according to a California Public Utilities Commission press release. The initiative’s Single-family Affordable Homes program has installed more than 2,000 solar systems for the state’s low-income families.

“California has the most customer-side solar installations of any state in the nation,” said CPUC President Michael Peevey. “This is a tremendous milestone for California and a testament to the success of the California Solar Initiative.”

Go to www.CaliforniaSolarStatistics.ca.gov for more information on the CSI.