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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOLAR INDUSTRY HAILS SENATOR ALEXANDER'S GROWTH PLAN FOR SOLAR POWER Bill would jump-start domestic solar energy markets, enhance America's long-term energy security WASHINGTON, DC, April 11, 2005 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- As Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced legislation Wednesday that would provide relief to America's natural gas consumers, solar advocates applauded several provisions in the bill that would speed the commercialization of solar energy in US domestic markets and put America back at the forefront of the burgeoning global solar industry. At a Capitol Hill briefing, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), representing over 700 companies and 20,000 employees in the US solar industry, praised Senator Alexander for incorporating an aggressive solar energy growth strategy in the Natural Gas Price Reduction Act of 2005. The legislation, which includes a sustained, five-year tax credit for solar deployment on homes, business, and utility-scale production levels, would dramatically expand domestic markets for solar. "We applaud Senator Alexander for introducing legislation that strengthens America's economic future as well as our energy security," said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "This bill increases US domestic solar energy production to meet a significant portion of our energy needs, while creating over 40,000 quality solar industry jobs by 2010 and encouraging states to invest in growing small businesses. The US has the best solar resources in the industrialized world, and we stand ready to answer Senator Alexander's call to develop those resources." The solar provisions are part of a bold and aggressive approach by Senator Alexander to lower the cost of natural gas for American consumers. SEIA's Rhone Resch noted that solar displacement of natural gas under the bill would save American consumers $15 billion over equipment lifetimes, and stretch the availability of natural gas supplies farther into the future. "Natural gas is a critical part of our energy infrastructure, but we have the highest and most volatile prices in the world," Resch said. "Solar is the ideal renewable energy technology to displace a portion of the natural gas demand and relieve some of the tightness in the natural gas markets. It can displace the need for peaking and intermediate power plants run on natural gas, because solar power is greatest from 10-5 every day - the time that the grid experiences peak power demand." SEIA is the national trade association of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects, consultants and marketers. Established in 1975, SEIA works to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace. For more information, visit www.seia.org .
Contact: Rhone Resch rresch@seia.org or Noah Kaye nkaye@seia.org Phone: (202) 682-0556 www.seia.org |
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