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Bishop Blesses Solar Panel's On Zero-Carbon Emission Church Building In Davis

DAVIS (CBS13) – On a day of scripture, mixed with a scissor lift at the Davis Episcopal Church of Saint Martin, a bishop blessed the building's new solar panels with holy water.

"I have never had a chance to bless solar cells," said Bishop Megan Traquair of the Northern California Episcopal Diocese. "It's a great opportunity."

Bishop Megan took to the roof off the house of worship, where parishioners have worked for a year to put the solar panels in place.

"We can't love God or love our neighbor properly,  and fully, without loving our planet," the bishop said.

The church has cut its average monthly energy expenditures by two-thirds and received an interfaith national award for helping reduce the speed of climate change.

"We showed that we could do that and have fun and make an important point too," one parishioner said.

The gift of light and an enlightened approach powered this house of worship.

The church says it is saving $10,000 a year in energy costs. Besides the financial savings, they are hoping more churches follow their lead to help save the environment.

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