AL HR745

Legislature commits to establishing the Alabama Sun Shot Initiative to obtain one percent of the state's energy consumption from renewable solar energy through solar parking canopies located in parking lots across Alabama

Recognizes the United States Department of Energy's 2011 "Sun Shot" initiative aimed at reducing solar installation costs to less than $1 per watt of power produced

Solar parking canopy structures provide multiple benefits including reduction in heat island effect from asphalt, decreased fuel consumption for vehicle cooling, reduced sun damage to automobiles, improved nighttime lighting, and emergency energy production during natural disasters

Properly designed renewable energy installation ordinances can facilitate greater access to solar energy and create thousands of jobs for Alabama citizens through installation and maintenance of solar systems

References Alabama's historical leadership in the Apollo "Moon Shot" program as precedent for the state's commitment to advancing renewable energy technology