[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2993 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2993

To increase the quantity of solar photovoltaic electricity by providing 
 rebates for the purchase and installation of an additional 10,000,000 
     solar roofs and additional solar water heating systems with a 
           cumulative capacity of 10,000,000 gallons by 2019.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 4, 2010

Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Gillibrand, 
 Mr. Merkley, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Menendez, and 
 Mr. Specter) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To increase the quantity of solar photovoltaic electricity by providing 
 rebates for the purchase and installation of an additional 10,000,000 
     solar roofs and additional solar water heating systems with a 
           cumulative capacity of 10,000,000 gallons by 2019.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 
Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1)(A) there is huge potential for increasing the quantity 
        of electricity produced in the United States from distributed 
        solar photovoltaics and solar water heating systems;
            (B) the use of solar photovoltaics on the roofs of 10 
        percent of existing buildings could meet 70 percent of peak 
        electric demand; and
            (C) a key barrier to increased deployment of solar 
        photovoltaic and hot water heating systems is the upfront cost 
        of capital, even though over time the systems are cost-
        effective;
            (2) investment in solar photovoltaics technology will 
        create economies of scale that will allow the technology to 
        deliver electricity at prices that are competitive with 
        electricity from fossil fuels;
            (3) electricity produced from distributed solar 
        photovoltaics helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, does 
        not emit harmful air pollutants, such as mercury, sulfur 
        dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, uses existing rooftop space, and 
        does not require additional land for generation, thereby 
        conserving natural resources and wildlife habitat;
            (4) electricity produced from distributed solar 
        photovoltaics enhances national energy security and helps to 
        meet peak power demand without requiring the construction and 
        siting of new transmission infrastructure;
            (5) investments in renewable energy stimulate the 
        development of green jobs in the United States that provide 
        substantial economic benefits;
            (6)(A) rebate programs in several States have been 
        successful in increasing the quantity of solar energy from 
        distributed solar photovoltaics and solar water heating 
        systems;
            (B) the State of California leads the United States in 
        installed solar photovoltaic systems and has used rebate 
        programs to promote the installation of more than 500 megawatts 
        of grid-connected solar photovoltaics, with 226 megawatts 
        installed during the 3-year period ending on the date of 
        enactment of this Act due to the Solar Initiative of the State;
            (C) the State of New Jersey is second in the United States 
        in installed solar photovoltaic systems and has used incentive 
        programs to achieve 90 megawatts of installed solar capacity;
            (D) the State of Hawaii leads the United States in solar 
        water heating systems installed, and will require all new homes 
        to have solar water heating systems starting in 2010, which is 
        projected to save the average household $600 annually and 
        reduce the oil consumption of the State by 30,000 barrels in 
        2010 alone; and
            (E) the State of Florida has used consumer and business 
        rebate programs for solar photovoltaic and solar water heating 
        systems and is second in the United States in installed solar 
        hot water systems;
            (7) despite inventing solar technology, the United States 
        has fallen behind nations with less solar resources because 
        those nations have set in place policies to promote solar 
        energy, and the United States now ranks fourth in installed 
        solar behind Germany, Spain, and Japan;
            (8) there are more than 1,500,000 solar water heating 
        systems in the United States that rely on a free fuel source, 
        the sun, to provide hot water, and there is enormous potential 
        for additional solar hot water systems to displace fossil fuel 
        use in water heating; and
            (9) homes in the United States spend more than 
        $13,000,000,000 on energy for water heating, which is 
        equivalent to 11.4 barrels of oil per home and accounts for 
        approximately 30 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions of an 
        average home, but solar water heating systems can reduce the 
        cost of water heating and reduce residential carbon dioxide 
        emissions.

SEC. 3. REBATES FOR PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS 
              AND SOLAR WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (referred to in this Act 
as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary shall provide rebates to eligible individuals or entities for 
the purchase and installation of solar photovoltaic systems and solar 
water heating systems for residential and commercial properties in 
order to install, over the 10-year period beginning on the date of 
enactment of this Act, at least--
            (1) an additional 10,000,000 solar systems in the United 
        States (as compared to the number of solar systems installed in 
        the United States as of the date of enactment of this Act) with 
        a cumulative capacity of at least 30,000 megawatts; and
            (2) an additional 200,000 solar water heating systems in 
        the United States (as compared to the number of solar water 
        heating systems installed in the United States as of the date 
        of enactment of this Act) with a cumulative capacity of 
        10,000,000 gallons.
    (b) Eligibility.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible for a rebate under this 
        section--
                    (A) the recipient of the rebate shall be a 
                homeowner, business, nonprofit entity, or State or 
                local government that purchased and installed a solar 
                photovoltaic system or solar water heating system for a 
                property located in the United States; and
                    (B) the total capacity of the solar photovoltaic 
                system for the property shall not exceed 2 megawatts.
            (2) Other incentives.--The Secretary shall issue guidance 
        to participating solar installers and contractors to ensure 
        that information is made available to rebate recipients on all 
        available Federal, State, local, and other incentives for 
        energy efficiency improvements that can be made in the 
        buildings on the property at which the solar photovoltaic or 
        hot water heating system is being installed.
            (3) Other entities.--After public review and comment, the 
        Secretary may identify other individuals or entities located in 
        the United States that qualify for a rebate under this section.
    (c) Amounts.--
            (1) Solar photovoltaic systems.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B) and 
                paragraph (3), the amount of a rebate provided to an 
                eligible individual or entity for the purchase and 
                installation of a solar photovoltaic system for a 
                property under this section shall be a rebate per watt 
                of installed capacity not to exceed the following 
                amounts:


Calendar year                            Dollar per watt
  2010.................................  1.75
  2011.................................  1.75
  2012.................................  1.5
  2013.................................  1.25
  2014.................................  1
  2015.................................  1
  2016.................................  0.75
  2017.................................  0.75
  2018.................................  0.5
  2019.................................  0.5.
 

                    (B) Adjustments.--The Secretary may adjust the 
                maximum amounts described in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) to ensure deployment consistent with 
                        the purposes of this Act; and
                            (ii) to respond to projected and actual 
                        market conditions.
            (2) Solar water heating systems.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B) and 
                paragraph (3), the amount of a rebate provided to an 
                eligible individual or entity for the purchase and 
                installation of a solar water heating system under this 
                section shall be not more than $1 for each watt 
                thermal-equivalent of installed capacity during 
                calendar year 2010.
                    (B) Adjustments.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
                the maximum amount described in subparagraph (A) 
                decreases over time at a rate that is similar to the 
                schedule described in paragraph (1)(A), and consistent 
                with projected and actual market conditions and the 
                purposes of this Act, for each watt thermal-equivalent 
                of installed capacity.
            (3) Maximum amount.--The total amount of a rebate provided 
        to an eligible individual or entity for the purchase and 
        installation of a solar photovoltaic system or solar water 
        heating system for a property under this section shall not 
        exceed 50 percent of the remaining cost to the purchaser for 
        the purchase and installation of the system (after 
        consideration of all applicable Federal, State, and local 
        incentives and tax credits).
    (d) Relationship to Other Law.--The authority provided under this 
section shall be in addition to any other authority under which credits 
or other types of financial assistance are provided for installation of 
a solar photovoltaic or solar water heating system for a property.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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