The U.S. Senate's Energy Committee has approved, by a vote of 13-10, the Ten Million Solar Roofs legislation – a bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that is designed to encourage the installation over 10 years of 10 million solar systems in the U.S. Sanders introduced the legislation in February.
The measure would authorize $250 million for competitive grants in 2012 and additional funding through 2021. Along with existing incentives, the program could meet and exceed the goal of installing 10 million solar systems over a 10-year period, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The legislation would help finance the installation of up to 40,000 MW of new solar energy. In the process, the cost of generating solar power would fall, and the U.S. would become the world's leading market for electricity generated from the sun, according to Sanders.
After the measure cleared committee, Sanders asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to include it in energy and climate change legislation he is expected to bring before the full Senate this summer.
SOURCE: Office Of Sen. Bernie Sanders
