Solar Tax Credits Run off the Rails

Clunk! Roller Coaster off the Rails

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The House puts its foot down

• that energy provisions should be included in housing legislation
• that energy matters should be part of any future ‘Economic Stimulus’-type legislation
• that bills with tax titles should be passed with no identified source of funding

Unfortunately, those three characteristics well describe the clean energy amendment that Senators Cantwell and Ensign succeeded in attaching to the housing bill.

This is, to say the least, a disappointment, particularly after the efforts of solar citizens helped to produce the overwhelming (88-8) Senate passage of the amendment. But for the short term, it seems there will be no useful activity on Capitol Hill that will promote the tax credits for clean energy or energy efficiency that we know are so important. And that doesn’t mean these measures will never again be a part of the economic equation; what it means is that those congresspersons who firmly believe the measures are necessary must find other legislative vehicles to carry them through the House, Senate and the White House.

Will this happen this year? At this point we can’t tell you. There is talk of lumping the clean energy tax credits in with other credits and deductions in a broad-based ‘extenders’ bill, but nothing concrete has yet emerged. We do know that the attention of Congress in an election year tends to veer toward campaigns and polls instead of legislation as November approaches, so we’re hoping for action earlier rather than later.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.