California first state to mandate solar power for new homes

California is the first state in the nation to require homes built in 2020 and later be solar powered.

The Building Standards Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to add the energy standards to the state building code.

The Orange County Register says the action finalizes a previous vote by the Energy Commission and fulfills a decade-old goal to make the state reliant on cleaner energy.

Commissioner Kent Sasaki and others lauded the new code as a model for the nation.

The newspaper says while nobody spoke Wednesday in opposition, the commission received letters opposing the mandate because of the added cost.

Energy officials estimated the provisions will add $10,000 to the cost of building a single-family home. But those costs would be offset by lower utility bills.