There has been a flurry of recent news indicating that solar energy has been gaining popularity at an unprecedented pace throughout the state. However, a recent study conducted by Herman Trabish of Greentech Media found that nearly all new electricity generators set to be built in California during the second half of 2013 are solar panels.

This information was compiled by the California Independent Systems Operator (ISO) 2012 Annual Report on Market Issues and Performance, which showed that of all new projects approved by state planning boards, 97 percent involved exclusively solar energy, while the remaining 3 percent were biofuel projects.

In total, Californians can expect to see 1,633 megawatts of new electricity enter the power grid during the tail end of 2013, with 1,581 megawatts coming from PV installations.

“By the end of the first half of the year, the ISO will have added 3,391 megawatts of nameplate capacity, of which 2,296 megawatts will be natural gas, 565 megawatts will be wind and 530 megawatts will be solar,” Trabish wrote in his report, noting that this situation will have reversed completely by the time 2013 comes to a close.

The reason for this shift is the fact that natural gas prices seem to have gotten too low to warrant investment in new natural gas projects, and solar power is now easier – and more cost effective – to maintain than ever before.

Homeowners throughout the state can contribute to this trend by purchasing their own solar panels and having them installed on the roofs of their California property, helping to make them more energy independent. To learn more, contact bay area solar installers West Coast Solar today.