The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently announced a new way for low-income housing facilities to tap into California Solar Initiative-Thermal (CSI-T) funds:

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2011 – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today established a low income California Solar Initiative (CSI)-Thermal Program.

In a previous decision the CPUC allocated $25 million in CSI-Thermal Program incentives in order to promote the installation of gas-displacing solar water heating systems on qualifying low-income single-family and multifamily residences in the service areas of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and San Diego Gas and Electric.

“The CSI-Thermal Program will offer increased incentives to qualifying single-family and multifamily low income customers who install solar water heating systems that displace natural gas usage,” said CPUC President Michael R. Peevey. “This program will help ease the financial burden on low income customers who may otherwise not be able to participate in the program.”

Incentives for qualifying single-family low income customers will be 200 percent of the applicable CSI-Thermal solar water heater incentive level, while incentives for qualifying multifamily affordable housing will be 150 percent of the applicable CSI-Thermal solar water heater incentive level.

The $25 million budget for CSI-Thermal low income solar water heater incentives will be funded by collections from gas ratepayers pursuant to Assembly Bill 1470, and as previously established in a CPUC decision. This low income program will be administered by the same Program Administrators that administer the gas-displacing portion of the general market CSI-Thermal Program, namely PG&E, SoCalGas, and the California Center for Sustainable Energy.

SunWater Solar is happy to see the CSI-T program expand in this way. Kudos to the CPUC!