An ambitious effort to expand the use of solar power in California's homes was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As part of the administration's green energy initiative, the "Million Solar Roofs" bill is an aggressive effort to create incentives for homeowners to buy, and builders to offer, solar powered energy.
The bill requires that by 2011 all home builders must make solar panels a standard option on any project of 50 units or more.
Due to the difficulty in obtaining solar cells and the fact that new home buyers might choose granite countertops over energy efficiency, the bill could be difficult to implement.
Les Nelson, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association feels that the bill should have made a solar power energy system a standard option for home buyers.
The new policy also challenges two powerful groups: energy companies and the building industry.
Tim Coyle, senior VP of the California Building Industry Association said that while his organization supported the bill, it can't be shoved down consumer's and builders' throats.
A homeowner with a solar power system can produce more energy than required and sell it back to PG&E for a monthly credit, so that the company owes them money. The new law lengthens the amount of time new homeowners can sell energy back to their utility at retail prices.
Current law capped this program at 0.5 percent of a utility's peak demand which has been increased to 2.5 percent of peak demand under the new law so that more new-home buyers can benefit from solar power incentives.
Municipal utilities like Alameda Power & Telecom are directed under the new law to follow PG&E's example and create their own solar rebate program.
Another point in favor of the new law is that it has called for the Energy Commission to study whether solar energy should be required on new residential and non-residential buildings.
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