The Provincial Government is providing $36-million for home and commercial solar installations.

Environment Minister Shannon Phillips says the use of solar energy has doubled since July of last year.

She's ready for the argument about spending this kind of money when the province is already in trouble financially.

"It does not take into account the number of spinoff jobs that occur when you reduce costs for business, and farms and municipalities and others," Phillips says. "That means they can make investments either in their businesses, they can make investments in their farm processes, if you're a municipality you can make investments, rather than paying electricity bills, you can make those investments in your communities, in your recreational centres and your roads and bridges."

The government expects to create 900 jobs in the solar sector and cut installation costs by a third for those who want to move get more of their power from the sun.

Phillips says without the Carbon Levy the province wouldn't be able to offer the rebates.

She says this program will make solar power affordable for more Albertans, leading to new panels on 10,000 Alberta rooftops by 2020 and  it'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about half a million tonnes, the equivalent of taking 100-thousand cars off the road.