In an effort to expand access to solar energy among California residents, lawmakers are attempting to establish a “shared renewables” program that would enable thousands of Golden State home and business owners to go solar without requiring them to install their own panels. Rather than generating their own power on-site, individuals would have the opportunity to subscribe to an off-site renewable energy project and receive credit on their utility bills for the amount of clean electricity they produce.

On April 11, Vote Solar, a non-profit grassroots organization, announced the results of a recent report it conducted on the impact of the legislation’s proposed 1,000 megawatts of shared renewables. If passed, the two bills – SB 43 and AB 1014 – could lead to a number of economic benefits throughout the state, suggests the data.

In addition to creating 12,700 local construction, operations and maintenance jobs, the program could provide $130 million in tax revenues and boost overall economic activity by $4.3 billion, according to Vote Solar.

“By connecting more Californians with the clean energy they want, shared renewable energy programs can unleash significant new private investment in the state’s growing solar economy. Add the proven environmental, public health and energy bill saving benefits of more local clean energy, and it’s clear that this is an idea whose time has come,” said Vote Solar representative Susannah Churchill in a press statement.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in hearing more about how residential solar energy solutions can benefit you, contact West Coast Solar for an in-home assessment at 925-516-3900. Then, once you’d like to move forward and have one of these energy efficient systems installed on your roof, our team of knowledgeable staff members can walk you through a fully integrated construction process to ensure that you are satisfied with the end result.