5/2/2008
Urgent ITC Action Alert
Tell Congress to Extend the ITC
Please contact your representatives in Congress this week (see talking points below). Spending $110 billion for energy security in Iraq, but not spending a dime on energy security in the United States is backward energy policy.
To locate your Members’ Washington phone number, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt and type in your zip code. Alternatively, you can reach your Members’ offices through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121.
SEIA staff learned last week that Congressional Leadership was planning to drop the renewable energy provisions, including the solar ITC, from the Iraq War Supplemental legislation. The Speaker’s office had previously indicated that the supplemental – which is must-pass legislation – would contain a long-term ITC extension. This is a serious setback to our efforts to secure an immediate extension and modification of the ITC. While SEIA staff is working to find other vehicles for an expeditious passage, we remain concerned that failure to include the ITC in the supplemental bill might result in it being delayed until very late this year, possibly even a lame-duck session after the election.
Talking points for solar businesses:
· Not extending the solar credits is an enormous tax increase that will cost American jobs.
· You represent a solar energy business in their state that will lose jobs and business if the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is not extended immediately. According to Navigant Consulting, 116,000 jobs and $20 billion in capital investment are at stake in 2009 alone.
· It is outrageous that Congress wants to spend $110 billion on energy security in Iraq, but won’t spend a dime on energy security in the United States.
· The extension of the ITC recently passed the Senate in the Cantwell-Ensign Amendment by a vote of 88-8.
· Ask them to tell House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid that the Iraq war supplemental must include a long-term extension of the ITC – for the future energy security of our country.
Talking points for concerned citizens:
· Not extending the solar credits is an enormous tax increase that will cost American jobs.
· You live in a state that will lose jobs and business if the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is not extended immediately. According to Navigant Consulting, 116,000 jobs and $20 billion in capital investment are at stake in 2009 alone.
· It is outrageous that Congress wants to spend $110 billion on energy security in Iraq, but won’t spend a dime on energy security in the United States.
· The extension of the ITC recently passed the Senate in the Cantwell-Ensign Amendment by a vote of 88-8.
· Ask them to tell House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid that the Iraq war supplemental must include a long-term extension of the ITC – for the future energy security of our country.
4/17/2008
Senate Finance Committee Presents
Extenders Bill - Sens. Baucus & Grassley Include Solar ITC
This afternoon, Chairman Baucus and Senator Grassley presented the Senate Finance Committee 2008 extenders bill. It includes a straight one-year extension of the solar investment tax credit.
4/10/2008
Senate Adopts Solar ITC in
Renewable Energy Amendment
to Housing Stimulus Bill
By an overwhelming vote of 88-8, the Senate adopted the Cantwell-Ensign amendment (S.Amdt.4419) that extends the commercial solar ITC by 6 years, residential solar ITC by 1 year, lifts the cap on residential PV, remedies AMT and removes the exemption for utilities.
The entire solar industry is grateful to Senators Cantwell and Ensign for their leadership and support for renewable energy. This sends a strong signal to the White House that with the right government policies, the solar industry can create thousands of green-collar jobs, spur billions in economic growth and help lift up the U.S. economy. This is must-past, bipartisan legislation that will benefit our economy, improve our energy independence and protect our environment.
We look forward to seeing Congress complete work on this issue and sending it to the President for his approval.
4/3/2008
Senators Cantwell, Ensign introduce
Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008
Today Senators Cantwell and Ensign introduced the Clean Energy Stimulus Act of 2008 (S. 2821). This bill extends the commercial ITC for eight years, removes the utility exemption and provides AMT relief. The bill also extends residential ITC for one year, removes the $2,000 cap for residential PV, and provides AMT relief. The two credits and other incentives are scheduled to expire at the end of 2008.
This legislation will create thousands of jobs, unleash billions in investment and prevent a major disruption in this fast-growing sector – all at a time when the United States needs it the most.
The bill got a quick boost from a key GOP leader--Sen. Pete Domenici (NM), senior Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Domenici issued a statement Thursday saying the tax credits for renewables would benefit the economy by creating jobs and furthering the development of alternatives to fossil fuels.
The House has approved this bill or similar versions four times, but the legislation stalled in the Senate over repeal of the oil industry tax breaks. On the last Senate vote to overcome a procedural, hurdle supporters fell one vote short of the 60 votes they needed.
The Senate bill differs significantly from the $18.1 billion package of energy tax credit passed last February by the House of Representatives. The House paid for the incentives by rolling back the tax incentives for oil and gas companies, while Thursday’s Senate proposal contains no budgetary offsets.
We expect the Senate to take action on the legislation over the next several weeks before the bill moves back to the House. There are still a large number of procedural hurdles to overcome, including the delicate issue of budgetary offsets, before final passage.
To find out if your Senators are cosponsoring this vital legislation and to help SEIA's efforts to ensure passage, click here.
Summary and full text of S. 2821:
http://www.seia.org/Clean_Energy_Tax_Stimulus_Act_Summary_Final_4-3-08.pdf
http://www.seia.org/Clean_Energy_Tax_Stimulus_Act_FINAL.pdf
National Sign-on Letter:
http://www.seia.org/ITC_Letter_4-3-08.pdf
Utility-Scale ITC Letter
http://www.seia.org/Utility-scale_ITC_letter.pdf
3/3/2008
SPECIAL UPDATE FROM SEIA
Broad business-consumer group to hold press teleconference March 4 calling on U.S. Senate to pass renewable energy bill promptly. The coalition represents business, environmental and consumer groups, public health, utilities, renewable energy companies and labor.
2/27/2008
House Passes H.R. 5351
Late today, the House passed H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax of 2008 with a vote of 236-182. (Note: 17 Republicans voted Yea and 7 Dems voted Nay.) H.R. 5351 includes extension of the solar 30 percent ITC (8 years for commercial and 6 years for residential), increasing residential solar cap to $4,000, removal of the AMT and utility exemptions plus extension of other renewable provisions: wind production credit, new clean renewable energy bonds, energy efficiency tax credits, renewable fuels credits, and plug-in hybrid vehicle credit.
This will be the third time Congress tries to complete legislation to extend renewable energy tax credits. What differs this time around is that House leadership has expressed openness to Senate proposed pay-for’s that differ from the current House version that repeals oil and gas industry subsidies. Also, it appears House and Senate leaders have stepped up their public relations efforts promoting passage of H.R. 5351.
A broad coalition representing business, environmental and consumer groups, public health, utilities, and labor delivered a message urging Congress to pass H.R. 5351 early this year to “extend federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that have expired or will expire at the end of this year. These incentives must be extended immediately to avoid significant harm to the developing clean energy industries in the United States.”
The group’s Feb. 26 letter stated, “America is on the cusp of a new, clean energy economy. The clean energy tax
incentives in H.R. 5351 would help our country make the transition to this economy – an economy powered by low-carbon technologies that help solve global warming, reduce energy prices for consumers and create new high-wage jobs. We urge you to vote yes on H.R. 5351.”
The Senate attempt to add a one-year extension of renewable energy tax credits to the Economic Stimulus package also failed earlier this year. On Feb. 14, Senator Reid filed for another cloture vote on H.R. 3221, the energy tax title that passed the House last year but failed in Senate vote in December. So the Senate is poised to take up the older H.R. 3221, or if passed, the new H.R. 5351, as early as next week.
Our hill contacts indicate the Senate will address this bill after the Easter recess, in early April.
Summary and full text of H.R. 5351:
http://www.seia.org/HouseEnergyTaxBillSummary2-12-08.pdf
http://www.seia.org/HouseEnergyBillText2-12-08.pdf
Coalition Stakeholder Letter:
http://www.seia.org/HR5351StakeholdersSupportLtr.pdf
1/30/2008
Senate Finance Committee Includes
Extension of Solar ITC
in Economic Stimulus
Despite overwhelming sentiment that extension of solar ITCs would not be included in the stimulus package, they are part of the package coming out of the Senate Finance Committee. Please see links below to SFC documents explaining the energy tax provisions that were included. Specifically, solar ITC (both commercial and residential) gets a one-year extension in the proposed package.
While we are disappointed that the extension is only for one year, SEIA will continue to press the case for an 8-year extension of the commercial and a 6-year extension of the residential credits along with all of the other improvements that we have pursued for over a year. However, an extension of the existing credits to 12/31/09 gives us breathing room as we continue to fight for our longer extensions. Additionally, multiple Senate offices have assured us that “by hook or by crook” we will get the 8- and 6-year extensions through.
However, we are not out of the woods yet. It is anticipated that the SFC stimulus package will be filibustered on the Senate floor and once again we will have to garner 60+ votes to break the filibuster and invoke cloture.
• Description of the Chairman's Modification to the Provisions of the "Economic Stimulus Act of 2008" (1.30.08)
• Energy Provisions of the Chairman's Mark (1.30.08)
1/22/2008
Renewable Energy Leaders Report Record
Growth,
Call for Extensions of Renewable Tax Credits
for Economic Stimulus
---
New Poll Shows 85% Americans Favor Extending Tax Credits for Renewables
SEIA Industry Poll Shows Growth in Solar Jobs, Revenues
Links:
- Joint RE Coalition Statement
- Statement by Rhone Resch
This morning Rhone Resch, president of SEIA addressed a packed room at the National Press Club along with leaders from the American Wind Energy Assn., National Hydropower Assn., and Geothermal Energy Assn.
Speaking on behalf of the four renewable energy groups, Resch said, “2007 was a record year for renewable energy in the U.S. Almost 6,000 megawatts of new renewable energy came on line in 2007, infusing over $20 billion of investment into our economy. And along with this investment came jobs. In 2007, the renewable energy industries put Americans back to work, creating tens of thousands of high quality jobs in all 50 states. Jobs like electricians and plumbers, line workers, roofers, engineers, and high-paying manufacturing jobs. These jobs are the backbone of our economy in the U.S.
“But already these jobs and many more are at risk. The 2007 energy bill was passed in December with much fanfare, but without an extension of the renewable energy tax credits … And with only 11 months to go before the credits expire, these projects have started drying up … If the renewable energy tax credits are allowed to expire, we will lose hundreds of thousands of jobs here in the U.S.
Resch shared results of a survey conducted by Zogby International last week that polled Americans on existing federal incentives for renewable energy, in a poll commissioned for the groups by AWEA. The survey found that 85 percent of Americans agree with the statement, “The federal government should continue existing incentives to encourage greater use of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar power.”
“As leaders of four major renewable energy trade associations, we respectfully urge bipartisan Congressional Leadership and the President to work together to include renewable energy tax provisions in any economic stimulus legislation currently being developed,” said Resch. “Renewable energy will put Americans back to work, provide reliable and domestic energy for homes and businesses, and spur billions of dollars of economic investment but only if Congress and the Administration take immediate action to extend the renewable energy tax credits.”
Solar Industry Poll Shows Record Growth in Jobs
Resch presented highlights of a record year for solar installations in the U.S. “Over the past few years, the solar energy industry, which includes manufacturers and distributors of photovoltaic, concentrating solar power and solar heating technology, has witnessed unprecedented growth. 2007 was a record year for solar energy, with 314 megawatts of new solar installed in the U.S. This is an increase of 125 percent from 2006,” said Resch. “This growth pumped over $2 billion into the U.S. economy and created 6,000 new jobs. And Wall Street invested billions of dollars in solar energy companies, foreseeing the growing global demand for clean, renewable energy sources.”
“We recently conducted a survey of our members and found that developing solar energy is an economic engine for America. From 2006 to 2007, their collective revenue grew by 116 percent and their job base grew by 103%. For 2008, the industry projected 60% growth in jobs and a 108% increase in revenues. Almost all of this growth is directly attributable to the solar investment tax credits created in the 2005 Energy Bill that are scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
“However the poll also showed that should the solar investment tax credit be allowed to lapse, after only three years in existence, companies will see a substantial loss of jobs and reduced revenue growth. “Specifically, if the investment tax credit for solar energy is not extended and expanded early in 2008, we will see a net job loss of over 40,000 high quality jobs by 2009.
“I want to echo the words of my colleagues and ask Congress to make an investment in renewable energy. Make an investment that will create jobs, improve our energy independence, ensure American energy security, and begin to address the biggest environmental issue that we face today - global warming. Extending the tax credits for solar energy is timely, targeted and temporary and will help stimulate the US economy.
“It is time for Congress to listen to the will of the American people and pass common-sense policies like the solar investment tax credit,” said Resch.
12/19/2007
SPECIAL UPDATE FROM SEIA
President Signs Energy Bill,
Dems Vow to Pursue RES and
Solar Tax Title in New Year
This morning at the Dept. of Energy, President Bush signed H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law. This was the Senate revised package stripped of the tax title, including extensions of solar investment tax credits for businesses and residents.
According to trade press, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed to take this up in the New Year. “We're going to keep fighting,” said Reid (D-Nev.) at yesterday’s enrollment ceremony after the House approved the Senate-revised energy bill by a 314-100 vote.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Finance Committee blamed the stripped-down bill on President Bush’s veto-threat. (Earlier this Fall, SEIA awarded Senator Bingaman the Solar Champion of the Year Award for his unwavering support of solar energy development.)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that she was proud of the renewable energy standards, or RES, that were stripped from the bill in the Senate because of Republican opposition. "We will try to get that in legislation in the next year," she said.
"We're pretty disappointed," said Rhone A. Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, which sought an extension of the investment tax credit that expires at the end of next year. "Clearly the most important provisions for us were left on the cutting-room floor." Resch said that because of long lead times for big solar projects, "we will see the U.S. market for solar start to shrink rapidly by the second quarter of next year."
See Washington Post Story
12/13/2007
SPECIAL UPDATE FROM SEIA
Senate Votes Down Tax Title,
Plans Energy Bill Minus Tax Provisions
The Senate just voted down the energy tax title to the energy bill. The vote tally was 59 yea, 40 nay. We fell one vote short of passing the tax title. Now, the Senate plans to take up the energy bill later today without a tax title.
This was a massive, grassroots effort to influence votes, but in the end most of the Republicans voted along party lines under strong pressure from Republican leadership and the White House veto threat.
Below is the list of the 40 nay voters and a link to the official final vote. We encourage you to share your displeasure with your Senators. We are conferring with our supporters on the Hill at this time about next steps forward. Please be advised that while this is a setback, SEIA will continue to pursue a long-term ITC extension with increased intensity.
We are encouraged by strong bipartisan support of solar in Congress and by the American public. Again, thank you for all your support.
NAY VOTES: Stevens (R-AK); Sessions (R-AL); Shelby (R-AL); Kyl (R-AZ); Allard (R-CO); Martinez (R-FL); Chambliss (R-GA); Isakson (R-GA); Craig (R-ID); Crapo (R-ID); Brownback (R-KS); Roberts (R-KS); Bunning (R-KY); McConnell (R-KY); Landrieu (D-LA); Vitter (R-LA); Bond (R- MO); Cochran (R-MS); Lott (R-MS); Burr (R-NC); Dole (R-NC); Hagel (R-NE); Gregg (R-NH); Sununu (R-NH); Domenici (R-NM); Ensign (R-NV); Voinovich (R-OH); Coburn (R-OK); Inhofe (R-OK); Specter (R- PA); DeMint (R-SC); Graham (R-SC); Alexander (R-TN); Corker (R-TN); Cornyn (R-TX); Hutchison (R-TX); Bennett (R-UT); Warner (R-VA); Barrasso (R-WY); and Enzi (R-WY).
ABSENT: McCain (R-AZ)
Link to Official Tally
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