Solar America Cities: 2nd Annual Award List Names 12 New Recipients

The U.S. Department of Energy has released the names of the twelve cities that will receive 2008 Solar America City awards.

The Solar America Cities program is part of the Bush Administration’s Solar America Initiative, an effort managed by the Department of Energy to make PV-based solar power cost-competitive with electricity generated from more conventional grid-connected sources by 2015.  Including this year’s awardees, twenty-five U.S. cities are involved in the program, committing themselves to accelerating the adoption of solar energy technologies at the local level.

The 2008 Solar America Cities are:

•  Denver, CO
•  Houston, TX
•  Knoxville, TN
•  Milwaukee, WI
•  Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN
•  Orlando, FL
•  Philadelphia, PA
•  Sacramento, CA
•  San Antonio, TX
•  San Jose, CA
•  Santa Rosa, CA
•  Seattle, WA

Each of these cities will receive $200,000 (a total of $2.4 million) to integrate a variety of solar technologies, such as solar water heating, solar photovoltaic electric systems, and large-scale solar thermal electric systems.  Combined with industry cost sharing and funding from each city, the total amount invested will be approximately $12.1 million.  In addition, DOE will provide hands-on assistance from technical experts to help each city:

• integrate solar technologies into their energy   planning, zoning, and facilities
• streamline local regulations and practices that affect solar adoption
• provide solar financing options
• promote solar technology among residents and local businesses through outreach, curriculum development, and incentive programs.

DOE Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said: “These Solar America Cities aim to jumpstart integration of solar power and encourage other cities across the nation to follow suit.  With the President’s leadership, the Energy Department is working aggressively to make clean, abundant and affordable solar energy the norm, and no longer an ‘alternative’ source of energy.  The innovative programs already underway in each city will help us raise the bar of what’s possible, and will help cities and towns across America harness the tremendous potential of the sun.”

The cities chosen are geographically diverse and very varied in the strength of their solar resource and experience with solar technologies.  Each city will adopt a variety of approaches to building up their solar infrastructure and deploying cutting-edge technologies.

Because cities are the nation’s electricity load centers, DOE considers them important partners in increasing the adoption of solar energy technologies.  In return for the financial and technical assistance they receive from DOE, the cities commit to developing a sustainable solar infrastructure that removes market barriers to solar installations, and encourages the adoption of solar energy by their residents and businesses.  The efforts of the Solar America Cities are also aimed at increasing the number of solar installations within U.S. municipalities. These cities are taking a comprehensive, city-wide approach that lays the foundation for a viable solar market and provides a model for other cities to follow.

This is the second year of Solar America Cities awards.  In 2007, the awardees were:

•  Ann Arbor, MI
•  Austin, TX
•  Berkeley, CA
•  Boston, MA
•  Madison, WI
•  New Orleans, LA
•  New York City, NY
•  Pittsburgh, PA
•  Portland, OR
•  Salt Lake City, UT
•  San Diego, CA
•  San Francisco, CA
•  Tucson, AZ