No utility is more

enthusiastic about letting the sun shine in than the Sacramento Municipal

Utility District (SMUD), which is putting solar panels on 100 residential roofs

a year as part of a five-year pilot project. Homeowners pay nothing for the

installation but see a 15% surcharge on their monthly bills to help defray the

cost. Even so, the chance to become a solar citizen has enticed more volunteers

than SMUD can accommodate. Encouraged by the response, the utility has ordered

100,000 more solar panels, enough to generate electricity for 2,400 homes, and

is purchasing land for a 100-MW solar furnace that would rival the size of

standard power plants.