SECTION 1.

 (a) Solar energy is the light and heat from the sun captured to generate electricity and heating. It is a vital renewable energy resource, and California is a world leader in solar energy development, infrastructure, and related jobs.

(b) Around the world, California is best known for its abundant sunlight. California’s diverse culture, from its iconic landmarks to sports and even food, is shaped by and made possible by the sun. The state’s year-round sunny conditions make California the optimal place to develop solar energy.

(c) California was the first state to embrace solar energy as a mainstream energy resource with the development of solar hot water technologies in the 1920s, the invention of the modern solar photovoltaic cell by Bell Labs in 1954, and later with the rapid expansion of solar energy into mainstream consumer markets with the 2006 Million Solar Roofs Initiative followed by the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007.

(d) California now has over 2,000,000 solar rooftops and solar canopies over homes, buildings, and parking lots, giving Californians the solar energy independence they deserve.

(e) Today, California is also home to some of the largest utility-scale solar power plants in the world, beginning with the early solar thermal plants, such as the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the County of San Bernardino, and including today’s largest solar photovoltaic power plant, Solar Star in the County of Kern.

(f) While all forms of energy have played an important role in the development of California into the fifth largest economy in the world, there is no other form of energy that is as abundant, reliable, renewable, ubiquitous, and accessible as solar energy.

(g) In 2022, solar energy supplied at least 30 percent of the state’s electricity generation, with over 30 gigawatts of rooftop and utility-scale solar capacity, which is more than 42 other states’ solar markets combined.

(h) As more people look to sustainable and renewable sources of energy, California can serve as a world leader in solar energy development.

(i) Solar energy captures the essence of California’s rich history and culture, its notable achievements in infrastructure, economic development, ingenuity, and entrepreneurialism, and its embrace of new technologies, innovation, and change.

(j) Because of the state’s historic leadership in developing solar energy, its commitment to renewable energy, and its golden and abundant sunshine, solar energy is the appropriate choice as a representative energy symbol for the State of California.