Right now, the ITC is 30%, but it’s set to drop to 10% for utility-scale and commercial projects (and will disappear completely for residential  projects) in 2016. The last time the expiration date loomed in 2008, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) fought hard and succeeded in getting it extended until 2016. President Obama recently called for a permanent extension of the ITC, which was music to most solar industry ears, writes Tony Clifford, CEO of Standard Solar and SEIA board member.