• $2,167 million for a Sustainable Solar Industry
• 1,940 MW Solar Energy by 2016

The most prominent part of the state-wide solar effort is the California Solar Initiative (CSI) which was initiated on January 1^st 2007 and is overseen by the CPUC . The investor owned utility solar program has a budget of $2,167 million over 10 years and is designed to help develop a self-sustaining solar industry free from ratepayer subsidies after 2016. The CSI provides solar incentives to costumers in three investor-owned utility (IOU) territories. These three territories (Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric) are representing 68 percent of California’s electric load. The main goal of the program is to reach 1,940 MW of installed solar capacity by the year of 2016.

The CSI is comprised of several program categories. The general market program (GM CSI) provides incentives for photovoltaic and non-photovoltaic solar technologies and covers 1,750 MW of the main goal capacity. The other 190 MW will be added by two low-income residential incentive programs: The Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program and the Single Family Low Income (SFLI) Program. The total state-wide CSI budget covers these program categories, a related research and development project, and the San Diego Solar Water Heating Pilot Program.

CSI Incentives