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Saturday, January 14th, 2017

Mandatory Solar on Newly Built Roofs Could Be Coming to All of California

Author:     Julian Spector
Source:     gtm
Publication Date:     January 12, 2017
Link: Mandatory Solar on Newly Built Roofs Could Be Coming to All of California
Stephan:   Here is more good news. In my view California, based on its social outcome data is the best governed state in the union, and California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown is the best Executive Officer in government. The state leads the way in programs that promote wellbeing, and the government recognizes this as a priority. California is also soon going to have highspeed rail. Over the next decade the difference in the standard of life between states under Republican governance, and those under Democratic governance is going to become more and more pronounced, and that is not a partisan statement. My focus is not on politics but wellbeing as objectively measured. We know what works. Some of us just choose not to pursue that path because other considerations take priority.

As of January 1, all new buildings of 10 stories or fewer in San Francisco must be built with solar panels included. (emphasis added)

Since that local measure passed last spring, its author, Scott Wiener, moved from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to the state senate. Now, he’s bringing the concept to Sacramento, first in summary form, with the full proposed legislation expected in four to six weeks.

If adopted, mandatory rooftop solar legislation would set a groundbreaking example of how a legislature can expand distributed solar through less conventional means, diverging from the default models of renewable portfolio standards and tax credits. That outcome is by no means guaranteed, though.

The process of passing the legislation through the state legislature will likely raise new questions about how the policy would impact the entirety of the massive Golden State. There are more legislators to convince than in San Francisco, and more interest groups and industry lobbyists who may try to stop it.

“The state, of course, is much bigger and much more diverse geographically and in every other respect,” Wiener told GTM. “We are actively soliciting input to make sure […]

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2 Comments

  1. Mark R on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 8:17 am

    As a former solar technician I am certainly an advocate of solar energy. Solar thermal is much more efficient than PV. China is far ahead of us in solar thermal, as it is imposed on multi-unit dwelling and subsidized. I understand the situation and benefits. However, I don’t appreciate the authoritarian use of regulations to force builders to install solar. Not surprising though coming from authoritarian left wing who cannot help themselves from using force to get their way. We can come up with more creative ways to encourage developers and citizens to go solar. Ultimately the price of solar & on site energy storage will drive adoption because it is cheaper and better.

  2. Gus diZerega on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    This argument has moral weight if CO2 is a harmless product. Under current conditions it is not.
    I personally think there are better approaches- Peter Barnes’ suggestion in “With Liberty and Dividends for All” that the right to use non-renewables be limited and auctioned off annually with the proceeds going equally to every citizen (or Californian) is likely wiser. But to whine about ‘authoritarian left wingers” falls somewhere between silly and a double standard.