The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approved a new local subsidy Tuesday for residents and businesses who install solar power.
The solar power incentive plan, which is expected to win final approval from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors next month, would provide between $3,000 and $5,000 for a home installation and up to $10,000 for businesses.
With existing state and federal incentives, the city subsidy could eliminate more than half the cost of a solar power installation.
“It’s groundbreaking,” said San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, co-chair of the city’s year-old Solar Task Force, which developed the plan. “I think it will help ensure that San Francisco is going to be the solar power capital of the world.”
The first year would be funded with $3 million in revenue from the city’s Hetch Hetchy electricity-generating dams.
The subsidy would be retroactive to Dec. 16, for those who installed solar power after the December announcement of the plan, and applications may be submitted after the supervisors give their approval, said Barbara Hale, PUC assistant general manager of power.
