| Solar group slams Congress
over failed tax credit bill
Mark LaPedus
EE Times
(07/31/2008 12:29 PM EDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) slammed
the U.S. Senate for failing to pass a critical solar bill that would extend
an investment tax credit.
SEIA President Rhone Resch blasted the Senate, as it failed to pass a
cloture motion on S. 3335, the Jobs, Energy, Families and Disaster Relief
Act. The act includes provisions to extend the solar investment tax credit
for eight years.
The motion failed by a vote of 51 to 43, unable to gain the support of 60
senators needed for passage.
''For the eighth time since June 2007, the Senate was unable to reach a
bipartisan compromise to extend solar tax credits which are vital to the
solar industry and our economy,'' Resch said in a statement.
''Time is running out to extend the solar tax credits and without passage in
the immediate future, tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars will
be lost in new solar investment. Already companies are putting projects on
hold and preparing to send thousands of jobs overseas -- real jobs that
would otherwise be filled by American workers. Failure to extend the solar
tax credits is a severe blow to an industry that has proven to be an
economic engine for the U.S. at a time when we need it most,'' he said.
''The Senate now has little time left this year to extend these tax credits.
I strongly urge the Senate to figure out a bipartisan compromise and
immediately extend the solar tax credit when they return from their August
recess,'' he added.
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