What is the CSI RD&D?
The California Solar Initiative (CSI) has a goal to create 3,000 MW* of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016, moving the state toward a cleaner energy future and helping lower the cost of solar systems for consumers. The CSI statewide budget is $3.3 billion over 10 years, and it has three distinct program components. Read more about the CSI here. To help achieve the California’s goal of creating a vibrant solar industry the state legislature created the Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment Program (RD&D). This program will invest $50 million to fund solar research and demonstration projects that will measurably reduce the cost and accelerate the installation of solar and other distributed technologies that could employ solar for generation, storage, or that could reduce the use of natural gas. * This includes 1,940 MW from the CSI Program, 360 MW from the New Solar Homes Partnership, and 700 MW from the Publicly Owned Utility Programs.
