CA Governor Schwarzenegger Highlights California’s Solar Leadership at Inaugural Solar Summit

05/07/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in a moderated Q&A at eBay in San Jose today as part of SolarTech, an initiative by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and the California Solar Energy Industries Association’s (CALSEIA) inaugural Solar Summit.

The Q&A was moderated by Silicon Valley Leadership Group President and CEO Carl Guardino and focused on California’s leadership in the solar industry, the role solar plays in driving California’s economy, and the impact public-private partnerships such as SolarTech and CALSEIA have on the deployment of solar energy in California.

SolarTech and CALSEIA partnered to organize this summit with the goals of accelerating the adoption of solar technologies, stimulating new markets and job growth in the solar industry, and developing standards and best practices to reduce installation time and costs of solar systems.

“Renewable energy is key for California’s energy future,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “California leads the nation in solar and renewable energy and is harnessing the power of the sun to run our factories, homes and businesses and boost our economy.”

Governor Schwarzenegger has presided over the largest expansion of solar energy projects in U.S. history and California leads the nations with over 500 megawatts of installed solar at 50,000 different installations. California has more than 60 percent of the nation’s installed solar photovoltaic capacity and the California Solar Initiative alone has spurred more than $2.8 billion worth of investment in solar projects throughout the state.

Some of the Governor’s most notable actions to further California solar and renewable energy are listed below:

* In 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger launched his Million Solar Roofs Initiative, now known as the California Solar Initiative to incentivize home and building owners to install solar electric systems. The goal is one million solar roofs in California by 2017.
* In 2006, the Governor signed AB 32, landmark legislation that aims to reduce California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, and in 2008, California Air Resources Board adopted the roadmap to get there - the AB 32 Scoping Plan.
* In 2008, the Governor committed to expanding the state’s already ambitious Renewable Energy Standard to 33 percent renewable power by 2020.

Source: California Governor