On Monday, June 1,
2009, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed H.B. 6635, An
Act Concerning Solar Power. This bill – which passed unanimously – would result
in the construction of over 300 megawatts of new solar power systems providing
clean, renewable energy to homeowners, businesses, and public buildings across Connecticut.
Overview
Connecticut
can reduce energy costs for families, businesses and municipalities, cut global
warming pollution, and put people back to work in new green jobs by investing
in solar power. Solar power on rooftops and on under-utilized lands such as brownfields,
is a fuel-free power source which produces power at a stable cost, and reduces
global warming pollution.
Connecticut previously
had solar rebate programs administered through the state’s Clean Energy Fund.
Those programs provided rebates for installation of solar power systems on
homes and businesses statewide. Unfortunately, funding for the Clean Energy
Fund programs was inadequate to meet the demand for solar power and the
programs ran out of money and stopped taking new applications in 2008. As a
result, solar installation companies are moving jobs out of Connecticut
into neighboring states with stable long-term solar programs.
Connecticut needs
a sustained commitment to investing in small, medium and large-scale solar
power systems. By establishing a long-term program investing in solar power over
the course of the next decade, Connecticut
can establish a sustainable in-state solar industry, install over 300 megawatts
(the equivalent of a small fossil fuel power plant) and cut global warming
pollution by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
The Go Solar Connecticut
Solution
The Solar Power Bill, (H.B. 6635) would create a long-term
solar power program to build enough rooftop solar systems to power the
equivalent of over 75,000 homes.
Environmental Benefits
Solar power provides clean energy that cuts global warming
pollution from burning fossil fuels. H.B. 6635 would cut Connecticut’s
emissions of global warming pollution by as much as 3 million tons. It would
also cut emissions of the toxic and smog-forming air pollution.
Stable Energy Costs
Families, businesses, and municipalities are at the mercy of
ever-rising energy costs. The primary driver of rising costs for electricity is
the cost of fossil fuels. Solar power provides electricity free from the cost
of fuel and provides the greatest output during peak times when electricity
from fossil fuel power plants costs the most.
Green Jobs
Per kilowatt installed, solar creates more jobs than any
other energy source. H.B. 6635 would support as many as 5,000 new jobs
supporting the solar industry in Connecticut
over the next decade.
