California introduced a bill to encourage the installation of solar sheds

California State Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) introduces Senate Bill 49, a bill to incentivize the development of solar sheds, at the state Capitol on Monday. "Solar farms take up a lot of land, but in cities and suburbs where the most electricity is used, this type of open space is either unavailable or very expensive," Becker said. "That's why the solar shed concept is so attractive, because it doesn't require more land, it just incentivize parking lot owners to double use their parking lot by placing a micro-power plant above all these cars." The bill would offer tax incentives to companies that build solar sheds in large parking lots to promote clean local power generation and avoid more solar development on land. According to a report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, sidewalks make up 35-50% of a city's total surface area, and 40% of those sidewalks are parking lots.

California State Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) introduces Senate Bill 49, a bill to incentivize the development of solar sheds, at the state Capitol on Monday.

"Solar farms take up a lot of land, but in cities and suburbs where the most electricity is used, this type of open space is either unavailable or very expensive," Becker said. "That's why the solar shed concept is so attractive, because it doesn't require more land, it just incentivize parking lot owners to double use their parking lot by placing a micro-power plant above all these cars."

The bill would offer tax incentives to companies that build solar sheds in large parking lots to promote clean local power generation and avoid more solar development on land. According to a report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, sidewalks make up 35-50% of a city's total surface area, and 40% of those sidewalks are parking lots.