(A) The welfare of the city's residents has been jeopardized in the past by shortages of natural gas, petroleum propane and electric power. The shortage of available energy supplies will continue during the coming decade unless measures are established to conserve the energy available for the economy and the residents of the city. It is declared to be the policy of the city to encourage and promote the use of solar energy in order to prevent or reduce an adverse impact upon the economy of the city and in order to prevent interruption of employment of the residents of the city in commerce and industry and in order to prevent injury to the health and welfare of the residents of the city due to the shortage and high cost of energy in their homes and places of work.
(B) It is also declared to be the policy of the city to improve the economics of solar energy use by facilitating the leasing of solar energy devices. This policy is premised on a finding that the initial cost of purchasing and installing a solar energy device is the primary economic barrier to expanded solar energy use. California law currently provides that taxpayers who lease a solar energy system from a municipal utility or from any lessor granted a permit from a municipal solar utility shall receive a tax credit for the first three years of operation or until the solar tax credit allowance terminates, whichever comes first.
(C) It is further declared to be the policy of the city to provide consumer protection measures for resi-dents who lease solar energy systems through the municipal solar and conservation utility.
('86 Code, § 24.04.020) (Ord. 3916, passed - - )