All new California homes will have solar panels
California is poised to capitalize on its status as one of the nation's sunniest states.
All California homes built in 2020 or later will have solar panels, The Wall Street Journal reports, following a mandate passed by the California Energy Commission on Wednesday.
Lawmakers voted 5-0 to approve the measure, requiring new developments to install panels to provide renewable energy for the building. The rule will apply to residential buildings up to three stories high. The measure will cost an additional $9,500 in construction costs per home, on average, but experts told the Journal that it would help drive down the cost of solar energy and revive the downtrodden solar industry, which was hit by solar panel tariffs earlier this year. Around 20 percent of single-family homes in California already use solar energy, more than any other state.
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The Golden State has taken some of the most aggressive measures in promoting energy efficiency, often butting heads with President Trump's administration over emissions standards and renewable energy policies. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
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