Oncor is providing rebates to its Texas customers for installing solar energy systems.

The utility launched the $16 million, four-year program Monday. That should be enough money for 1,400 systems of various sizes, the utility said. Oncor will pay $2.46 per DC watt and up to $24,600 for each residential energy system. Its business and government customers are eligible to get incentives worth as much as $246,000 per system.

The move follows many other utilities in the country that offer various types of incentives to promote solar energy use, which of course gives solar energy equipment and service companies a boost in business.

Xcel Energy, the largest utility in Colorado, has offered rebates for some years, though it recently reduced the rebates in light of the availability of a federal tax credit (see Xcel Cuts Solar Credits by 40%). Now, under the stimulus package just passed by Congress, the tax credit, which would offset the costs of installing a solar energy system by 30 percent, will be converted to cash payments.

Meanwhile, customers of the Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida could become the first bunch in the country to profit by selling solar power from their systems at home or businesses. The program, which is awaiting the state’s approval, would pay more for solar energy than for power from conventional sources. For the first two years of the program, the utilities would guarantee $0.32 per kilowatt-hour under a 20-year contract.