On February 4, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) announced to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) their 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010, modeled on California’s Million Solar Roofs initiative. This bill would encourage adding 10 million gallons of solar hot water and installing solar panels on 10 million rooftops nationwide over the next 10 years.
Since 1974 SEIA has worked with companies to make solar energy more mainstream, in part by helping to alleviate market barriers and by educating the public on the benefits of clean solar energy. SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch said in a release: "Senator Sanders and Congressman Cohen have shown true leadership by setting a bold vision for solar installations…passing this bill would create the world’s largest market for solar energy here in the U.S. and bring with it tens of thousands of manufacturing and installation jobs in all 50 states.”
The rebates provided to residential and commercial property owners that install these photovoltaic and solar hot water heating systems would help to offset substantial initial costs, the biggest barrier to widespread adaptation of solar power nationwide.
Source: Solar Energy Industries Association
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