Bill Could Increase PV Rooftop Panels & Hot Water to 10M

Sentaor Bernie Sanders

Representative Steve Cohen

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN)  introduced the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010 on Capitol Hill today. This bill, modeled on California’s Million Solar Roofs initiative, would deploy photovoltaic solar panels on 10 million rooftops nationwide and increase the capacity of solar hot water by 10 million gallons over the course of the next 10 years.

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 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act would provide rebates to residential and commercial property owners to install photovoltaic and solar hot water heating systems. These rebates would help overcome initial cost barriers that have slowed widespread solar adoption, despite 92 percent of the American public agreeing that it is important for the nation to develop and use solar energy.