Electical Contractor

As more customers embrace renewable energy, up to 75% of U.S. utilities are set to offer a mass-market green power program by the end of 2003. Several utilities are achieving a response rate much higher than the usual 1%.

By Rick Laezman Schoolchildren in New York State are learning about the benefits of solar power in their own school buildings. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERD) has launched a program to install new solar systems in 50 schools statewide.

California’s energy crisis, with its well-publicized rolling blackouts, effectively depleted the state’s 15 percent energy reserve. In efforts to restore it, Gov. Gray Davis is calling for a heavier reliance on green power—including solar—through the California Power Authority.

Always a trailblazer, California has taken the bold step of increasing its renewable portfolio standard, which has helped inspire other states but is still comparatively higher. In April, Gov.