Solar installations in the U.S. will be cheaper than ever, if Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has his way. He’s working on the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act that could create one million well-paying jobs and provide 10% of U.S. energy. If the bill passes, we’d see federal rebates of $1.75 per watt to cover up to half the cost of a new solar system. This is on top of the current 30% federal solar tax credit and many state incentives.
Sanders’ goal is to install ten million solar panels and 200,000 solar water heaters on American homes and businesses. This would generate 30,000 megawatts of PV electricity, tripling U.S. solar energy capacity.
Another smart thing about this bill is that it encourages distributed energy. Basically, it is much quicker and easier to install solar on buildings already connected to an electricity grid than to deal with the headache of building a new power plant and transporting the energy to people who need it.
The fact is, solar is good for the U.S. Families with solar panels save money on their electricity bills and increase home values. And, as we at 1BOG know, solar installations create many more long-term jobs than a coal or nuclear plant.
In a recent Grist interview, Sanders states: “The average nuclear power plant will produce about 1,000 megawatts for that $10 billion dollars. [With solar] we can produce 30,000 megawatts for $30 billion and they’re going to produce it for $300 billion.”
Hmm, does spending an unnecessary $270 billion during a recession sound a little odd? We thought so. If you’d rather go with Bernie’s idea, then call your senators and tell them how you feel! Here at 1BOG we’re excited about this meaningful step toward energy independence and green job incentives.
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