Given growing public concerns about energy independence, security & climate change, US states & the federal government are adopting legislation & offering incentives in support of the rapidly growing renewable energy & power industry & California is playing a leading role. The introduction of the California Solar Initiative (CSI) is set for January 1. The largest program of its kind to date with a US$2.9BN budget, CSI aims by 2017 to facilitate & finance 3,000-MW worth of solar-generated electrical power throughout the Golden State by installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in some 1M California homes, businesses & public buildings. Solar power currently makes up only 0.3% of California's electricity supply, according to independent industry statistics. The renewable energy snowball is gaining momentum, spurring the evolution of a full-blown economic ecosystem - from small local businesses selling & installing solar PV systems for the residential retrofit market to large-scale commercial & residential installations that involve public & private utilities, large corporations & a range of government departments & agencies. Electronic & solar-grade polysilicon is the critical material in the supply chain & manufacturers are ramping up production after being caught short last year. Supported & driven by an increasingly credible business case, the growth of the renewable energy industry also has government & industry leaders, along with the general public, considering corporate environmental & social responsibility in a new light
