PV Group Members Descend on Washington to Urge Expanded Solar Support
 By Bettina Weiss
Sr. Director, SEMI PV Group
Last week, several members joined me and other SEMI PV Group staff for an education mission to Capital Hill in support of US renewable energy legislation as part of our annual Washington Forum. A number of factors made this year's energy outreach to the US Congress especially more urgent and more compelling. With the oil leak crisis in the Gulf of Mexico reaching catastrophic proportions, legislators were especially open to solar policy positions conveyed by our group of technology and business leaders. And, with a stubborn recession influencing upcoming elections, the economic and employment benefits of sound, renewable energy policies struck a surprising chord with many legislators.
The Washington Forum is held annually to press decision makers to support policies promoting a strong high tech industry in the United States. It is a critical tool to present our member companies' policy interests directly with Members of Congress and Administration officials. After a day of training and briefing meetings with SEMI lobbyists and staff, meetings are arranged in congressional offices and with key agencies to advocate and explain critical policies that benefit solar PV. This year, almost 20 face-to-face meetings were held with Members of Congress, their senior staff and relevant officials within the federal agencies.
Our key messages
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Pass energy legislation this year, including the implementation of a strong national renewable energy standard (RES) to help drive the market for increased deployment of Solar PV.
- Establish a Clean Energy Deployment Administration/Green Bank to assist in the financing of qualified renewable energy projects. Unlike the Department of Energy's existing loan guarantee program, the Green Bank would make loans to qualifying companies and provide a range of different types of financing assistance.
- Extend the 30% alternative energy manufacturing tax credit (MTC) tax credit to build or refurbish manufacturing facilities to make renewable energy or energy efficiency technologies through 2012. The credit currently capped at $2.3B is an incentive for companies that manufacture renewable energy producing equipment to locate their manufacturing facilities in the United States.
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