WASHINGTON, DC – In advance of a House Ways and Means markup on the budget reconciliation package, Representatives Tom Suozzi, Earl Blumenauer, Ron Kind, Steven Horsford, Dwight Evans, Dan Kildee, Jimmy Panetta, Don Beyer, and Nanette Barragan introduced legislation, supported by every major environmental organization and labor, that would allow solar companies to qualify for a full value Production Tax Credit (PTC), which is currently only available for wind and geothermal energy. As members of the chief tax-writing committee, the elected officials are pushing for it be included in the budget reconciliation package.
By offering a stable PTC for solar energy, it will incentivize clean energy deployment, allow solar economic growth, and create green energy jobs to thrive alongside other carbon-free clean energy technologies. Analysis by The Rhodium Group projects that allowing solar generation the option of a PTC can double the emissions reductions of clean energy tax credits, optimizing their impact.
“Let’s get this in the reconciliation package so we can help make the United States carbon-free by 2035. This legislation makes that goal that much easier to attain,” said Rep. Suozzi.
"In my state of Nevada and across the nation, investing in solar energy has been a proven way to create good-paying jobs while accelerating our transition to carbon-free power," said Rep. Horsford. "I'm excited to introduce this bill, which will incentivize clean energy production and level the playing field for solar energy producers."
“The last few months have shown firsthand the devastating toll that fossil fuels have taken on our planet. To succeed in our fight against climate change, we must limit emissions as quickly as possible by maximizing our renewable energy resources. I am proud to join my colleagues in incentivizing solar energy deployment through this important legislation, which will also spur the creation of thousands of high-quality jobs,” said Rep. Don Beyer.
Rep. Dwight Evans said, “Philadelphia has seen historic, damaging flooding this week, and this clean-energy tax credit is one way we can fight the climate change that caused it and create jobs at the same time.”
President Joe Biden, as part of his Build Back Better Agenda, has committed the United States to the science-based target of a 100 percent carbon-free power sector by 2035. The legislation will help maximize our opportunity to meet this goal, while creating good-paying jobs with strong labor standards.
Outside groups that support the legislation:
Sierra Club; League of Conservation Voters; Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Natural Resources Defense Council; RMI; National Audubon Society; Union of Concerned Scientists; Environmental Defense Fund
Quotes from outside groups:
"To meet our climate goals, the U.S. must begin to deploy more than double the clean power we have in any single year to date. This legislation represents a critical step towards enabling the kind of long-term flexibility between tax incentives that is needed for greater amounts of energy to come online quickly. The Sierra Club commends Representative Suozzi for this forward-looking bill and his leadership on clean energy," Matt Bearzotti, Deputy Legislative Director, Sierra Club.
“Many of us are experiencing and witnessing devasting impacts that climate change is bringing to our communities. Floods, torrential rains, and more frequent storm events are occurring across our coastlines. We can fight climate change by incentivizing the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and that is what this bill will accomplish! Solar power is growing but providing a tax credit will allow more middle and lower-income homeowners to make the switch. This is a bright and sunny day in the fight against climate change. Thank you to Congressman Suozzi for understanding the public’s needs and working to find solutions to fight climate change, help the public and protect our environment,” stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"It's no longer about having the right technology to decarbonize the power sector. It’s about doing it fast enough to reach our targets in time. This production tax credit for solar will help ensure that all clean energy resources are deployed at the pace and scale needed to avert the worst consequences of climate change. This will further accelerate the energy transformation already underway,” said RMI US Program Director Sarah Ladislaw.
“We thank Congressman Suozzi for introducing this vital legislation and hope it will be included in the Build Back Better Act,” said Art Terrazas, Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change and Clean Energy. “We need every tool we can get our hands on when it comes to combating climate change and accelerating our country on the path to 100 percent clean power – offering the option of a production tax credit to new solar energy installations will help us do both.”
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