Public utilities supply solar energy to eager customers

This articles examines how photovoltaic power is an alternative source of energy that can help utilities earn goodwill from their customers for being innovative, saving money, and reducing harmful emissions. Planners at municipal utilities are discovering the advantages that photovoltaic (PV) power offers. In addition to the thousands of private, federal, state, and commercial PV systems installed during the last 20 years, more than 65 cities in 24 states also have installed such systems. PV power is cost effective in selected utility applications today, and those applications are expanding every year. PV can be useful in applications ranging from low-power uses to decentralized applications to large, central stations. Public utilities in Austin and Sacramento are among those successfully using PV power for all three types of applications