Dec. 2--FONTANA -- Thanks to more than 33,000 solar panels soaking up sunlight on top of a warehouse in Fontana, Southern California Edison is now reaping 2 extra megawatts of juice on its electricity grid.

Local officials on Monday gathered to watch Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger flip the switch on the Rosemead-based electricity giant's pilot solar project -- which could be the beginning of a proposed 250-megawatt photovoltaic solar panel operation spread across the rooftops of Southern California commercial buildings.

"This proves you can protect the environment and the

economy at the same time," Schwarzenegger said. "I think this will get bigger. We see it as a trend to continue for many years to come."

The envisioned $875 million project would be the largest of its kind, but Edison has to first get approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.

"We're hoping to hear from them by the end of March," said Randy Schultz, project manager for Edison's Project Development Division.

Edison estimates its $10.5 million Fontana solar project will produce enough electricity to power 260 homes.

ProLogis, a Denver-based warehouse developer, is leasing 600,000-square-feet of roof space to Edison on the Fontana warehouse.

Ultimately, Edison wants to lease enough Southern California commercial rooftop space -- probably about 150 buildings -- equal to 2 square miles and throw thousands of more solar panels into the mix to pump 250 megawatts of electricity onto the grid.

That power would equal about one-tenth the electricity created by one of California's largest power plants, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. That is enough power for 162,000 households, according to Edison.

In September, the PUC authorized Edison to lease space and build solar panels on two more warehouses.

"We've signed a lease on a second commercial facility in Chino," said Gil Alexander, spokesman for Edison. "Our hope is to have a third site connected to the grid by March."

Alexander would not say if Inland Empire distribution centers will garner most of Edison's solar panels if the larger proposal is approved by the PUC.

"Every time we do this, it'll be in a community where the demand for power is growing," Alexander said. "(The Inland Empire) is an area where there's an abundance of these types of (warehouse) facilities."

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