Californian Solar Power Hits 1GW Mark

The US state of California now has more installed solar power than many European countries, according to a report issued by state advocacy organisation Environment California.

Its installed capacity has just reached a single Gigawatt - equal to 1,000 Megawatts. That's approximately the same amount of energy produced by a pair of fossil fuel plants and sufficient for the energy needs of no less than 750,000 houses.

It's also more than is in place in China, France or Belgium, with only the likes of the Czech Republic, Japan, Spain and Germany having surpassed the magic 1MW mark, to date.

California: Installed Solar Power

California's installed solar power total includes domestically-located photovoltaic cells, those used by businesses and those in other urban locations.

Environment California's report puts the state's solar surge down to several factors. These include the introduction, four years ago, of the Million Solar Roofs programme, along with its parent California Solar Initiative. The aim of this is to have 3GW of Californian solar energy in production by 2016.

"This report really shows that investing in these solar programs works", Environment California's Michelle Kinman, who worked on the report, stated in comments quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle.

She continued: "It's not only the fact that we're on pace to achieve the 3,000 megawatts. There's also the benefits of the creation of green jobs and the strengthening of the solar industry in the state, not to mention the benefits of clean energy and clean air."

Solar Power in California

The solar power sector in California currently provides employment for a staggering 25,000 people, with about a fifth of the United States' solar technology firms based in the state.

"California can become the Saudi Arabia of the sun if it continues to get behind big, successful solar programs", Kinman added.

"All signs point to a bright future for solar power in California, meaning cleaner air, cleaner energy, and more jobs."

Image copyright Stan Shebs - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

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