Alright kids, here it is: your daily infusion of solar energy news and info…

The big story from yesterday: California lawmakers voted to boost the state’s net-metering laws for solar power, reports GetSolar’s Connie Zheng. In effect, the move will enable more Californians who generate their own solar power to receive credit from their utility for any net excess generation. Learn more about net metering and net excess generation.

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), the Arizona-based maker of thin-film solar, yesterday reported higher-than-expected earnings for the last quarter of 2009, according to Eric Savitz at Barron’s. The stock fell sharply after hours, and today is down in mid-day trading. In a presentation yesterday, the company said it expects silicon-based panel prices to continue to fall through the second half of this year, a trend that could erode the price competitiveness of First Solar’s non-silicon-based technology.

In other solar/investing news, Chinese solar panel-maker Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ) said its gross margins for the fourth quarter may be thinner than anticipated, reports Reuters. The stock was down about 14 percent in mid-day trading.

Holy Cross Energy, a utility in Colorado, will reduce their solar rebate to $1.50/watt from $2.00/watt, reports the Aspen Times. The move shouldn’t impact the bottom line of homeowners and businesses looking to install solar panels, however, as a new state-sponsored rebate option is available: “A program offered by the Governor’s Energy Office, or GEO, offers a rebate of up to $3 per watt, minus what a local utility company offers. So, even though Holy Cross is decreasing its rebate, a consumer could reap more in rebates overall compared to last year because of the new state program.”

The Phoenix City Council has approved a 250-megawatt utility-scale solar installation that will be sited at the city’s sole active landfill, reports KSWT Local News. The project, which should produce an amount of electricity equal to the demand of about 50,000 homes, is expected to create 60 permanent positions and 300 construction jobs. To boot: the installation will, in addition to solar, incorporate technology that captures landfill gas and converts it to electricity.

Finally, good news for solar power in Nevada: a solar energy plant in Boulder City will receive $2.9 million in federal grant money, reports the Las Vegas Sun.

That’s all for this Friday. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to stay plugged in with GetSolar.