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County cuts permit fees for solar panels

Residents of unincorporated San Mateo County who want to fight global warming and help the planet — and those who just want to save money — will soon find it a tad cheaper.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on June 20 halved the building fees for installing photovoltaic systems on rooftops, from the present $690 to $345.

The board also eliminated fees for reviewing the design of solar installations and obtaining an exemption from further reviews.

"Now is the time to create incentives for solar panels," said Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, who with Supervisor Rich Gordon introduced the proposal.

Over the past 12 months the county issued 18 building permits for solar installations, bringing in $12,420 in revenue. It has issued seven exemptions from design review, totaling $3,311 in revenue.

The county will collect information for a year, and then decide whether to make the cuts permanent.

Board president Jerry Hill encouraged residents of county-governed areas to save money by installing solar panels. Quoting former Vice President Al Gore, he said, "Fossil fuel is a finite resource, and we have already used half of it."