Bakersfield Saluted As One Of Calif's Top Solar Cities

By Anne Stegen . BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - While gas prices are on the rise, it is no surprise that people are turning to alternatives.  Bakersfield is among the top cities in the state when it comes to installing solar panels.  According to a report by the website Sunible, Bakersfield had t he second-most solar installations in the first quarter of the year, right behind San Diego and ahead of Fresno. Los Angeles was in fourth. Sunible reports nearly 4,000 homes in Kern County used solar power and many of the leading solar cities are modest median-income communities.

Posted: 12/10/2013  Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today saluted Bakersfield for becoming one of California’s top solar cities. PG&E also recognized its customer, First Congregational Church, UCC, whose solar installation was instrumental in Bakersfield’s ranking. The finding, recently announced in an Environment California report, rated Bakersfield 6th in the state in solar generation with 16 megawatts (MW). First Congregational Church, UCC, one of 1,943 PG&E customers that installed solar in Bakersfield, contributes to Bakersfield’s solar generation by supplying 44 kilowatts of clean, solar power to its facilities. First Congregational Church, UCC will receive $50,000 in rebate incentives from PG&E through the California Solar Initiative (CSI) program. “With our new solar installation, we are realizing real energy savings through a clean and reliable source of energy,” said Pastor David Stabenfeldt, First Congregational Church, UCC. “This would not have been possible without rebate incentives provided by PG&E and the California Solar Initiative. We are proud to help Bakersfield become one of California’s top 10 solar cities.” By interconnecting solar customers, PG&E is able to provide cleaner energy to the state and help lower the cost of solar energy systems. To help further drive this effort, PG&E provides rebate incentives through the CSI program that will help bring the benefit of carbon-free power to residential and business customers.

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