The Santa Clarita City Council welcomed U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer to the dedication of a Solar Canopy at the Transit Maintenance Facility.

Mayor Marsha McLean called this event an important milestone and thanked Boxer for visiting even though she has 36 million other constituents. Boxer corrected McLean saying she actually has 38 million constituents, which perhaps makes the honor even greater.

McLean proudly advocated the benefits of the canopy which will generate 97% of all electricity need to power the facility.

“As a result, this site will produce almost 1 million kilowatt hours per year, saving the city approximately $137,080 a year in electricity bills,” McLean said.

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Officials say the canopy clean energy project received 4.6 million dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction Grant Program.

Santa Clarita was selected as one of 43 agencies to obtain funds through this grant program receiving the fifth largest award nationwide. The city also applied for a reimbursement from Southern California Edison’s California Solar Incentive Program for a photovoltaic system. Edison approved the city’s application resulting in $930,000 reimbursement over the next five years.

Boxer, the Chair of the US Senate on the Environment and Public Works, said we’re blessed in California because we have lots of sun and have very progressive people in office who understand that it makes “total sense” to harness that sun for the good of the people.

Boxer said saving the environment and saving money is one of those rare issues that is not partisan.

“It’s just a smart thing to do,’ Boxer said.