Solar Alert!--Save a Tax Credit. Save the World?

Not exactly.  But, it’s a start. And it’s simple.

A proposed extension and expansion of the current federal Renewable Energy Tax Credit is in the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Title:
"Securing America's Energy Independence Act of 2007"  (S. 590 - H.R. 550.)

Status:
House - only 54 Co-Sponsors
Senate - only 15 Co-Sponsors

We have a l-o-n-g way to go before the July 4th target date for passage.

Visit--

www.solar-nation.org/
http://www.solar-nation.org
or
www.votesolar.org/
http://www.votesolar.org

More about the bill below the fold.

The bill extends the 30% federal investment tax credit for renewable energy (currently set to expire at the end of 2008) for another 8 years, modifies the distributed photovoltaics incentive to $1500 per half-kW of capacity and removes the $2000 residential cap.

Translated from "wonk-speak," the bill is a 30%-off sale on renewable energy systems for the average homeowner (now limited by a cap) who would like to install a system, but finds the price unaffordable.

As you know, solar energy alone has the potential to provide much of the electricity our country needs. Next generation thin film photovoltaics, new electric vehicles (EVs) and concept plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) promise a significant degree of energy independence and environmental sustainability going forward.

Extending the tax credit will create an estimated 55,000 new jobs in the solar industry and produce over $45 billion in economic investment.  Solar energy would displace four trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the bill, saving American consumers $32 billion over equipment lifetimes.

Are your congressional representatives co-sponsors?

(See below.)

If not, visit:

www.solar-nation.org/
http://www.solar-nation.org
or
www.votesolar.org/
http://www.votesolar.org

If so, thank them for doing the right thing.  We should all do that more often.

Now yak about solar in the comments section. Tell us about the newest, coolest solar related thing you’ve seen, read or heard.  We need to keep this diary alive so we can get some response and new co-sponsors.

House—
Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1]
Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3]
Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6]
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1]
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1]
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3]
Rep Bono, Mary [CA-45]
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3]
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1]
Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5]
Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44]
Rep Camp, Dave [MI-4]  
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9]  
Rep Costa, Jim [CA-20]
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10]
Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25]  
Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4]  
Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3]
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14]
Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7]
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51]
Rep Gerlach, Jim [PA-6]  
Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8]  
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6]
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2]
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12]  
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15]  
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1]  
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18]  
Rep Jefferson, William J. [LA-2]
Rep Jindal, Bobby [LA-1]
Rep Kuhl, John R. "Randy", Jr. [NY-29]  
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1]  
Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12]  
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5]
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16]
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10]  
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11]
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7]
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3]
Rep McHugh, John M. [NY-23]
Rep McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [WA-5]
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6]  
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3]
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46]  
Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47]  
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1]  
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4]  
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 2/16/2007
Rep Udall, Mark [CO-2]  
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6]  
Rep Wilson, Heather [NM-1]  
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10]

Senate—
Sen Allard, Wayne [CO]  
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA]
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA]
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA]
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA]  
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA]
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA]
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ]  
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT]
Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN]  
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ]
Sen Salazar, Ken [CO]  
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT]
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME]
Sen Wyden, Ron [OR]