Largest solar panel rollout in US begun
Today Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE:KSS) flipped the switch on a rooftop solar energy system at its Laguna Niguel store as part of the largest planned U.S. photovoltaic solar rollout to date. Michael R. Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, joined Kohl’s to celebrate this significant step toward the building of solar electric systems at 63 of Kohl’s 80 California locations, which will total approximately 25 megawatts (MW). At completion, Kohl’s solar program will represent approximately 15 percent of California’s photovoltaic installations to date.
Kohl’s is working closely with the State of California to help meet the goals set by Governor Schwarzenegger and the Public Utility Commission. Under the 2007 California Solar Initiative (CSI) program, the state expects to build solar power systems totaling 3,000 MW of solar power by 2017. At 25 MW, the total projected capacity of the Kohl’s solar systems will be larger than that of the top five largest completed photovoltaic systems in the United States combined.