The U.S. Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved a bill by Senator Bernie Sanders to promote the installation of 10 million solar power systems on American residential and business rooftops over a decade.
According to Senator Sanders, the legislation would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions and authorize USD$250 million for competitive grants in 2012, plus additional funding.
Under the initiative, solar power systems of 1 megawatt or less will be eligible and grants or rebates of up to 50 percent of the cost to purchase and install systems will be provided under various mechanisms.
The bill would help finance the installation of up to 40,000 megawatts of new solar power capacity and make the USA the world’s biggest market for solar energy.
“We are losing the race for solar jobs, and falling behind other nations in solar installations. That must change,” said Sanders, chairman of the Senate’s green jobs subcommittee.
Previous a solar PV leader, the United States has been outpaced by other countries over the last decade in the development of related technology and consumer uptake.
The Ten Million Solar Roofs legislation is expected to be brought before the full Senate within the next few months.
