Solar Power Tariff Incentive Spurns Boom In Gainsville Solar Industry

GAINESVILLE, FL - APRIL 15: Wayne Irwin, who works for Pure Energy Solar, works on the control panels of a solar panel system installed on the roof of a business on April 15, 2009 in Gainesville, Florida. Recently the city of Gainesville through a program initiated by the local Gainesville Regional Utilities became the first city in the nation to have a solar feed-in tariff ordinance which means owners of new solar photovoltaic systems will be eligible to receive 32 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity produced by the system over the next 20 years. The new program has produced a spurt of solar installation projects around the city. Other states and cities around the nation are eyeing the feed-in tariff program as a renewable energy program they might be interested in doing. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)