CSU Goes Solar as Study Predicts Job Growth in Green

If there’s a way out of the current economic crisis, it might just be green. According to a new study by the University of California at Berkeley and Next10, California’s policies will create 403,000 new jobs in the next 12 years, increasing household incomes by $48 billion. The state’s most recent steps towards this prosperity are through its university system.

Earlier this week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to show a commitment to renewable energy, announcing that the entire California State University system – the largest system of higher education in the nation – will install solar at 15 campuses, including CSU Los Angeles. And, fortunately for taxpayers, it won’t cost us a dime.

Partnering with SunEdison under a power-purchase agreement allows CSU to buy renewable power at or below retail rates, while avoiding the cost of the system’s installation. SunEdison takes on that burden, along with those of operating and maintaining the panels for 20 years.

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The systems will add about 12.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy in their first year – the equivalent of 1,256 households’ energy use. The CSU system already receives 20% of its electricity from renewable sources. This 8MW addition will bring that total to 25%. The panels will be installed on rooftops, parking canopies, and in ground-mounted arrays.

Next up? The state is currently negotiating agreements to install solar at five state prisons and three state mental hospitals. Bring on those jobs!

Photo credit: Tigg07 on Flickr through a Creative Commons license

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