California Center for Sustainable Energy

Looking at recent newspapers and TV reports, it’s gratifying that CCSE is credited as one of three reasons why San Diego is now California’s number one solar city. We didn’t say it, but the Environmental California Research & Policy Center did in their report “California’s Solar Cities: Leading the Way to a Clean Energy Future.”

With more than 2,260 solar installations producing nearly 19.5 megawatts of power, San Diego can be proud of what it has accomplished. So can all of California; we started the year with nearly 50,000 solar rooftop installations generating more than 500 megawatts, but the bad news is that renewable and sustainable power still accounts for less than 1 percent of energy nationwide. There’s a long way to go to get America energy independent.

Just like you don’t drive looking in your rearview mirror, we can’t just rest on our laurels looking back at what we’ve done. We’re making progress in greening our communities, but it simply isn’t fast enough to help the economy today or save our environment in the near future from the effects of climate change. Fortunately, help is on the way.

Clearly, President Obama is getting it right by setting a national priority for energy savings and green initiatives backed up by billions of dollars in direct investments and tax incentives. Now, if you install certain energy-saving systems or purchase an alternative fuel vehicle, you will be able to recoup some of your investment when filling 2009 and 2010 federal income taxes.

In California, we have an even greater opportunity to increase energy-efficient technologies and clean-energy systems, thanks to Assembly Bill 811 that allows local governments to offer sustainable-energy project loans to eligible property owners. These land-secured loans will be paid back through assessments on individual property tax bills over 20 years. CCSE is working with several cities to set up such programs, and we hope some will be ready to launch this fall. We also anticipate that a new statewide incentive program for solar water heating will be ready in the fall, resulting from the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007, with a goal of 200,000 systems in the state by 2017.

The message should be clear. Everyone needs to get involved in issues of sustainability, whether it is recycling and reducing waste or investing in energy systems that reduce your carbon footprint and our dependence on fossil fuels. CCSE will help you understand your options, guide you through the processes and give you access to applicable rebates – but it’s really up to you.

Join us and make the promise to do more to create a cleaner, healthier environment. It will not only help our planet and our children’s future, but also assist America in building a stronger economy.

Continue reading August's newsletter.