Friends-

The feds are getting into the game--and with the newly introduced “Securing America’s Energy Independence Act”, we have our biggest opportunity yet to jumpstart solar in this country.

The bill does what it says. The bi-partisan legislation (introduced in the House as HR 5206 and the Senate as S. 2677) would make America’s energy future a lot brighter in a very sensible way by making solar energy, in effect, 30% cheaper across the country.

The bill  extends the 30% federal investment tax credit (just enacted but currently set to expire at the end of 2007) for another 8 years to 2015, and lifts the cap on residential credits to $2,000 per kilowatt of capacity.

This is a huge, darn-near-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. California’s $3.2 billion, 3,000 MW initiative passed earlier this year was big. This is even bigger.

For those new to the game, solar energy has the potential to provide much of the electricity our country needs. Temporary financial incentives are necessary to build economies of scale—and extending the tax credits over a longer period gives the solar industry the market certainty necessary to make long-term investments.

The gameplan is to get as many co-sponsors to sign onto the bill as possible. Energy is a top-level concern for Americans, and Congress is primed to show some resolve before the mid-term elections in November. Bills with legs, as demonstrated by the number of co-sponsors, are much more likely to get the tap to move forward and have a chance at passage.

So—it’s on you. Send an email to your representatives. Rally your friends. Take action now, or no complaining later.

For an extra boost to your karmic bank balance, take the next step and give your congressional representative a call. Find their numbers here and tell them to co-sponsor S. 2677 or H.R. 5206, the "Securing America's Energy Independence Act."

The information and views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Arizonaenergy.org or the companies that advertise on its Web site and other publications.