In California, It Pays To Go Green

Golden State's Campaign To Fight Global Warming Gives Tax Credits To People

(CBS)  The builders at a California subdivision aren't just putting up homes; they're building little power plants. Solar panels are standard on every roof, CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports.

With their teenage daughters, David and Sandra White and are the first to move into the solar neighborhood. It's part of California's campaign to fight global warming by building 1 million solar roofs within 10 years.

The state of California "absolutely" helped them by "offering various rebates and tax credits and things of that nature," David says.

The panels add about $25,000 to the cost of a new home, but a state rebate and federal tax credits bring the price down almost a third.

The 1 million solar roofs will cut demand for conventional power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, now a priority in California.

"We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Sept. 27, 2006.

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So solar panels, which convert light to electricity, have been given a huge boost in California.

"I feel like we're the leaders of the country now. See, California can do it; how about everyone else," says roofer Fred Dever.

In his 34 years as a roofer, it's the biggest change in the business Dever has seen. "Tiles on the roof that produce energy — so I think that's pretty cool," he says.

Talk about cool solutions to global warming. There's a refrigerator that uses a quarter of the power older, smaller ones used. By requiring appliances be more efficient, California uses less electricity per person than any other state.

For 30 years, the guy behind California's conservation push has been Art Rosenfeld. At age 80, California's Energy Commissioner is pushing fluorescent light bulbs, which use at least two-thirds less energy. He says they're not expensive anymore. "Invest two bucks, save 50 — that's not bad, huh?" he says.

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Only On The Web: More of John Blackstone's interview with Art Rosenfeld, California's "Godfather of Green."

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Rosenfeld's long campaign to make everything from windows to furnaces energy efficient has given the state tough standards now required in every single new home in California.

So the obvious question is: By going green, do the Whites suffer? No! They have two fridges, three electric ovens and four TVs. Sandra says they "definitely" are energy hogs.

But their appliances' efficiency and the free power they now get from the sun has cut the Whites' electric bill by 50 percent.

"We had no idea that it would be that low. And for me, that makes a difference in my budget," Sandra says. "It is more spending money."

They also get something priceless: By living under one of California's million solar roofs, they're helping the earth while helping themselves.

[hypnotoad72]

WHY is everything "right wing talking points" or "left wing talking points"? What happened to the middle ground?

I too can be too cynical for my own good, reacting to every little news snippet, but I'll admit that isn't healthy either. The right wing isn't always wrong either, ditto for the left-wing.

[hawksprings]

So tell me where does Mr. Gore buy his carbon credits from?

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[hawksprings]

DefndLiberty, here's some inconvenient truths for you:

Gore buys his power from Nashville Electric Service, which gets it from TVA. TVA says less than 1 percent of its power is "green," - about 7 percent if you count TVA's hydro power. 90 percent of TVA power is generated generated by burning coal (60 percent) and by nuclear plants (30 percent). It also burns natural gas to generate power during times of high demand. (Details here

Neither NES nor TVA has the capability of directing only "Green" electrons down the wires to Gore's home, so, on average, less than 1 percent of the power he purchases is "green," or less than 7 percent if you county hydro power as "green."

People allude to Gore buying carbon offsets, but his spokesman says he buys them through Generation Investment Management, and GIM doesn't sell carbon offsets. So it is entirely unclear that he really does buy carbon offsets.

What he does through GIM is invest in stock in companies like Staples, GE and Johnson Controls.

So when he buys stock in GIM, an outfit his is chairman of, he is basically padding his investment portfolio whilst claiming to be green.

It begs the question: Does he REALLY believe his doom and gloom? I don't think so. But he wants you to so his stock goes up.

[hawksprings]

From USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm
"But according to public records, there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy in either of his large residences. When contacted Wednesday, Gore's office confirmed as much but said the Gores were looking into making the switch at both homes. Talk about inconvenient truths."

[mitywhity]

Hey solar is cool, all the more power to anyone who can afford to go that route. I still don't see Gore living the minimalist life he is advocating. He could afford to "go green" at his house. Why doesn't he adapt such technology at his home and get off the grid? I would if I had the money. I have read of folks who went totally self-reliant to the point of even selling electricity back into the grid at a profit - nice! But it is expensive. I am a landscaper, do I get credit for all the flora I install?

[truthfulone-2009]

You Go California...I live in Phoenix, Arizona and in 2002 installed a solar hot water heater system at a cost of $approximately $3,000.00 and was told that I would receive state tax incentives for 3 years. The first years deduction was $600 for the system and would have decreased the next two years. I only used the state tax deduction for the system the first year, when I filed my 2002 state taxes and that was for the allowed $600. In February of this year, I received a ltter from the Arizona Department of Revenue that my tax returns for 2002 are being audited and that I was being disallowed the $600 deduction for the solar hot water heating system I installed. Also, of course there was an additional $240 interest and penalty accessment added to the $600 so now I owe the state of Arizona a total of $840.00 for the 2002 filing year. I hope California doesn't use this to "audit" people as Arizona does and I've learned a lesson about installing energy efficient products and the only thing its done is to have created more "Green" for the state of Arizona!

[starlight88-2009]

Regarding the misrepresentation of Gore's energy use, here is a YouTube link to:

Keith Olbermann tells the truth on Al Gore's energy use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeS_ylb03KY

If not for Al Gore, I doubt we would even being discussing Global Warming. Bush would still be suppressing it.

P.S. Nice Piece on the Solar Use. Yippie Arnold!!

[r9119111]

Perhaps the time is right Good things do happen in America when everyone works together for proper solutions I wish Floridat would get off its ... (@%#!) We have enough sunshine for everyone +.

GLAC

[hawksprings]

I'm just sayin' that if being 'green' takes more than just talking about it and telling others to be green, maybe Mr. Gore would have considered putting solar panels on his mansion and other homes he owns a few years ago, like when he was making "Inconvenient Truth".

[godseyesore-2009]

Hawksprings should install one for his/her brain...the area of the skulltop should be just about right to generate the nanowattage needed.

[hawksprings]

"Solar panels are standard on every roof"

How novel, maybe Mr. Gore should try it on his homes.