December 17, 2007

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has spearheaded two recent initiatives in solar energy and bio-diesel fuels to help the environment. Both have received widespread national publicity.

First, the city has decided to give old grease a new career. SFGreasecycle, the new program, will pick up used cooking oil from local restaurants, hotels and other food preparation commercial establishments. These substances will be turned into bio-diesel, a fuel made of plant oil that burns cleaner than petroleum-based fuels. The city will run public buses, fire trucks and other city vehicles.

The other initiative is an ambitious plan to encourage businesses and homeowners to use solar energy for their energy needs. While the city is known for a foggy climate, Newsom believes it is ideally situated for solar energy. The new program announced December 11 would offer companies and residents government-funded loans and rebates to offset the costs of installing solar panels.

Under San Francisco’s proposal, which must be approved by voters and legislators, business would be eligible for rebates of up to $10,000. Residents would receive $3,000 to $5,000 off the cost of installing solar panels, depending on whether they use a local contractor and are working on property in a neighborhood near a power plant.

The initiative comes on the heels of a solar-incentive plan approved last month in neighboring Berkeley, which is financing the cost of solar panels for homeowners who agree to pay the money back through a 20-year property tax assessment.