New York: extraordinary solar panel claims

The Arnolds last week installed 24 solar panels on the roof of their Davenport Road home, a move they say will provide all of their electricity needs.

It's also a step more and more New York state homeowners and businesses are taking, state energy officials say.

"We had one panel installed in September. That one panel powers our hot water preheater. It preheats the hot water heater," Dave Arnold said. "That change alone when you look at 2007 versus 2008, it reduced our electric usage by 33 percent. That was one lousy panel, just one improvement."

Snow in California (OneNewsNow.com)

Heavy snow forced the temporary closure of a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in both directions in the mountains north of Los Angeles. The roadway is the region's main north-south artery. It reopened at around 4:20 p.m., said Patrick Kimball, a California Highway Patrol officer.
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Up to 7 feet of snow had fallen in the Sierra Nevada over the past week, and more was expected by early Tuesday. Tire chains were needed to navigate steep mountain passes, but the weather was a boon for Lake Tahoe resorts, where skiers and snowboarders were enjoying heaps of fresh powder.

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