LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Monday to complete a plan designed to build one million solar roofs in the state.

    Putting the finishing touches on the million-solar-roof plan, the governor concluded a two-year effort to help make California the nation's leader in solar energy, the Governor's Office said ina statement e-mailed to Xinhua.

    "When I ran for governor, I vowed to make the environment the centerpiece of my administration and turn back the clock on pollution," said Schwarzenegger.

    "My Million Solar Roofs Plan will provide 3,000 megawatts of additional clean energy and reduce the output of greenhouse gasses by 3 million tons which is like taking one million cars off the road."

    Last year, the governor asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to implement his Million Solar Roofs plan. Dubbed the California Solar Initiative by the CPUC, the plan will lead to one million solar roofs in California by 2018.

    The plan will greatly increase the state's rooftop solar energy capacity, providing the output equivalent of five modern electric power plants.

    "This program's 3,000 megawatt goal, taken together with other aggressive solar initiatives such as requiring utilities to acquire 20 percent of the power used within the state from renewable sources, will make California once again a world leader in solar power," said the statement.

    Specifically, the legislation includes the following steps:

    -- Expanding the program from a limited number of customers to customers of more municipal-owned utilities;

    -- Crediting consumers for excess power produced: consumers who install solar panels on their homes and businesses can sell excess energy back to power companies for credit on their monthly bills (this credit is a key incentive for consumers to install solar panels);

    -- Increasing the cap on the number of customers who can use this option from 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent (raising the ceiling will provide part of the needed financial incentive to bring more solar power on to the grid;

    -- Making solar power a standard item on new homes and requiring a developer of more than 50 new single family homes to offer the option of a solar energy system to all customers beginning Jan. 1, 2011.

    Since taking office, the governor has made it a priority to develop a self-sustaining solar industry for California. In 2004, he introduced the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, which included 2.9 billion dollars in incentives to home owners and building owners who install solar electric systems. Enditem