We’re In The Game. With the release of a Discussion Draft, Chairman Neal of the House Ways and Means Committee put the solar ITC on the track to get a 5 year extension. This is not a bill, nothing has been voted on and nothing has been decided except this was the political step to get the ITC moving forward. The pathway remains the same as before, a massive spending bill at the end of the year that gets the House and Senate to put political barriers aside to keep the government operating. What solar needs to do now is show the politicians that solar has jobs, opportunity and political power so that when the final deal gets negotiated, solar isn’t left out.
Don’t Stop The Pressure. Click Here and fill out the call to action. Send your letter to your member of Congress and if you have a twitter account make sure to blast it as well. The entire process takes 60 seconds. Now that we are in the game, we have to make sure we cross the finish line. Democracy is a full contact sport and we have to push our message. Jake Marshall from CED Greentech San Diego showed me a picture of a computer they put out for customers to use to sign the call the action, I urge you all to steal the idea and do the same. Anywhere you come in contact with solar supporters, put out the webpage.
Make A Call. Take another 5 minutes and call your member of the House, particularly those of you in AZ, CO, CA, NV and NY. Not all of your employees and colleagues read this newsletter, please forward this email to them and encourage them to fill it out as well. Let’s get more letters sent out today and everyday, click here now! Post one of these two paragraphs on LinkedIn and tag me and SolarWakeup to get the post re-shared. Let’s see how many folks we can get involved in the political process.
Why This Matters. US Energy related carbon emissions went up 2.7% last year, a trend in the wrong direction tied to the economic growth that the US continues to experience. At this time in history, the ITC would allow the energy sector to decarbonize and adding storage to the credit would help replace even more fossil based generation.
- Solar Power World: House releases tax package that would extend solar ITC by 5 years
- Axios: The state of U.S. energy-related carbon emissions
- New York Times: PG&E Struggles to Find a Way Out of Bankruptcy
- PV-Magazine: No property tax for residential solar in Michigan
- Greentech Media: Equinor, National Grid and Drax Offer Glimpse of Net Zero Economy
- Los Angeles Times: Climate change activists urge Los Angeles not to build a gas plant in Utah
- CNN: Secretive energy startup backed by Bill Gates achieves solar breakthrough
Opinion
Best, Yann