Bill would require new Calif. homes produce energy

If state Assemblywoman Lori Saldana has her way, buyers of California homes built a little more than a decade from now would not have to worry about paying big electricity bills. The homes would produce power themselves.

The San Diego Democrat has introduced legislation that would require all homes built starting in about 2020 to be so-called zero net energy buildings. That means they would be extremely energy efficient and produce enough power to offset any electricity they draw from the grid.

That homegrown power would probably come from solar panels. But it also could be generated by nearby wind or geothermal plants, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with the group Environment California, which supports the bill.

AP