Bill introduced in California to expand access to solar for businesses, schools, non-profits

California Sen. Scott Wiener recently introduced a bill that aims to expand to solar energy for businesses, schools, nonprofits, and municipalities.

The bill, SB 1399, would allow non-residential customers to partner with already-developed sites such as parking lots, warehouses, brownfields and landfills and use those sites for solar energy for the local community.

“To meet our aggressive renewable energy goals, California needs to dramatically expand solar, including maximizing use of our empty rooftops and other developed spaces that are ripe for solar,” Wiener, who represents San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County, said. “However, these locations sometimes have no need for solar power and therefore sit unused, while other energy customers want to access renewable energy but have no space to install solar. SB 1399 brings these two groups together – supply and demand – to drive an increase in solar installations in urbanized areas throughout California.”

California has approximately 35,000 acres of previously developed sites, including 20,000 in disadvantaged communities, that could act as locations for solar energy, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“California has long been our nation’s leader in solar energy, but many of its businesses and schools face practical barriers to adopting solar,” Sean Gallagher, SEIA’s vice president of state affairs, said. “This bill provides an innovative, yet commonsense solution that will unlock access to local clean energy for these organizations, while creating thousands of jobs in California. We thank Sen. Wiener for his leadership in advancing California’s solar economy.”