Everything Solar Forum

communities_1.jpg

Β View Only

  • 1.  Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 05-16-2025 02:01 PM

    The House Ways and Means Committee has proposed ending the Residential Solar Tax Credit immediately and phasing out the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) early, a devastating blow to clean energy progress.

    πŸ”— Learn more:
    πŸ“° Utility Dive's recent article: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/house-gop-proposes-early-phaseout-of-ira-clean-energy-tax-credits/747970/
    πŸ“° EnergySage's recent article: https://www.energysage.com/news/congress-threatens-to-end-solar-tax-credit/

    Take Action NOW - Tell Congress to protect solar and our clean energy future by using Solar United Neighbors' email template here: https://act.solarunitedneighbors.org/

    Solar has strong bipartisan support. Let's make sure our voices are heard!



    ------------------------------
    Ella Nielsen
    Membership & Engagement Director
    American Solar Energy Society
    Boulder CO
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Posted 05-19-2025 01:05 PM
    Ella, and Members who heed this warning.

    I have a fundamental gripe with this sort of blanket, hair-on-fire, contact your representative approach to trying to influence congress.  It is a half-truth to pretend that a general pleading to every legislator has the same impact - thus it is also a half-lie - when we all know it is the Republican members who are willing to throw away positive laws to satisfy the Mad King.

    While the ASES organization is certainly comprised of sophisticated members who know the political score, I see this in every AARP and other associations' messages as well; it is a dis-service to the intelligence of ASES members.  You want support, we all want good legislation, yet you pretend that all politicians need encouragement in the same way.  Hog-wash - the Republicans are selling out and that fact needs amplification, not some half-truth.

    What are you worried about -  ASES membership count?  Do you think Republican members will walk away if you point out that it is a Republican Bill that would eliminate solar incentives (along with medicare and medicaid cuts)?  Tell the whole story with integrity and only then can we hope to keep the high road, no matter the membership count.

    Dennis Garde, AIA, LEED AP
    Turkey mobile +90.536.910.15.69
    US mobile: +1.847.624.1983 (What's App)
    405 Stuart Court, Savannah, GA 31405
    Formerly with US State Department
    google: +1.312.772.3720
    Have Experience - Will Travel





    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 05-19-2025 10:33 PM

    I appreciate your response, @Dennis Garde! Your feedback is really helpful and I'll take this into account the next time I share something like this in the future!

    Thanks so much for being an active ASES member and for your great work!

    With gratitude,

    Ella



    ------------------------------
    Ella Nielsen
    Membership & Engagement Director
    American Solar Energy Society
    Boulder CO
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 05-20-2025 11:19 AM
    Edited by william fitch 05-20-2025 11:20 AM

    Yes, the "call for action" is basically useless under these specific circumstances. The problem is massive criminality and law breaking and it has gone unchallenged because the DOJ under Barr from 2016 fourth (Plus the SC) set all the pieces in place for it to be so, and has backing by all the wealth and power. This is apparent because if it was not the case, the Squatter would not still be walking around along with all his complicit's after the massive ill intended actions against the masses.

    Now am I suggesting that one should not speak up? No. I am suggesting that you greatly temper you expectations regarding change as long as the criminality is unanswered.



    ------------------------------
    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Posted 05-21-2025 12:07 PM
    Mr Fitch,

    You have a way of squeezing more juice out of the dry quince, more so than most.  The French consider this a compliment by the way.  And the French live to debate politics.  The political calculus that makes your analysis correct is FEAR - fear of a verbal challenge, fear of being humiliated, fear of reprisal, fear of property damage, fear of physical attack.  Intimidation leads to fear - we see this from Trump statements' impact on Republicans and on the media that cannot question his lies in real time.

    I work for a federal cabinet level agency.  Some weeks ago that agency declared that any reference to DEI, sustainability, renewable energy, LEED, and more in my message signature should not be included; and, be revised according to the presidents' demand.  They have since reneged on that demand regarding LEED, but not the other references.  The so-called leaders - of these agencies, corporations, associations, institutions, and organizations - have been intimidated with few exceptions.

    This great country has been reduced to fear-mongering by the powerful and cowering by the weak.  I for one will not be silent and appreciate that you are not silent either. 

    Dennis Garde, AIA, LEED AP
    Turkey mobile +90.536.910.15.69
    US mobile: +1.847.624.1983 (What's App)
    405 Stuart Court, Savannah, GA 31405
    Formerly with US State Department
    google: +1.312.772.3720
    Have Experience - Will Travel





    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Posted 05-20-2025 06:45 PM

    Dennis:

    • You are absolutely correct and this is a long-standing sore point for me with the non profit organizations I support.  I completely understand the need to maintain nonpartisan policy positions, but there is really only one party destroying the renewable energy progress of the past couple decades and it is the Republican Party.  Perhaps it is necessary to steel the resolve of Democrats in congress by assuring them we expect them to defend those gains.  However, while that may be necessary, it is not sufficient!  Clearly identifying the party that is responsible for the destruction is not only important, it is essential to providing clarity to ASES members and to the public generally. 


    ------------------------------
    Joe Schiller
    Professor, emeritus
    Tennessee Solar Energy Association
    Clarksville
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    ASES Life Member
    Posted 05-20-2025 07:59 PM

    Hi Dennis, William, Joe, 

    Good points but remember that ASES is a non-profit so they can't advocate for or against a specific party or person. Just legislation. Which is what Ella's original email did.  If you have a Republican representative or senator, of course contact them and make the argument for clean energy based on jobs and national energy security. If they are Dems then maybe a little pressure will remind them if they waiver when the vote comes. Remember that staffers read the letters or emails and just tally 'for or against'.

    Steve 



    ------------------------------
    Steven Hegedus
    Professor and Senior Scientist
    University of Delaware
    Newark Delaware
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Posted 05-21-2025 01:11 PM
    Steve,

    You are correct but these are not ordinary times.  Churches are non-profit as well.  Yet Christian Nationalism is fast becoming the most dangerous 'ism' of the 21st century.  I ask again, what are we afraid of?  Seems to me we are in danger of losing the Republic, so 501c status and rules are less concerning.

    From the google machine, "Organizations organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, educational, or other specified purposes and that meet certain other requirements are tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)."  The Trump nominee, Billy Long, to head the IRS will not care about these rules.  Did you hear the confirmation hearing? 

    My congressional rep is Buddy Carter, 1st Georgia district.  He is a classic, self serving MAGA house member.  His only town hall in the past 2 years was a call-in-affair 2 months ago that was announced less than 24 hours beforehand.  Thousands of callers heard the brief Q&A but only a few could speak.  Georgia has recently scampered to the top tier of solar PV installs.  The 1st District has a new Hyundai plant that will produce EVs.  Carter could care less.

    My point is to educate members about real-politik.  The MAGA game plan, in part, expects us to be courteous and abide by the rules while they break every rule in the book and lie about it.  I'm not having it.

    Perhaps Ella can publish the votes from recent years and legislation that affected renewables.  This would not breach the rules and would prove up the reality.  I know Carter did not vote for the CHIPs Act nor the IRA yet he shows up for photos.

    I am presently working in Budapest.  I read often about Orban and his cancerous control of the government, the courts, universities, and the economy.  I recently spent 3 years in Turkey and observed the Erdogan rule.  The blueprint is clear and MAGA has thrown away the rule book.

    Dennis Garde, AIA, LEED AP
    Turkey mobile +90.536.910.15.69
    US mobile: +1.847.624.1983 (What's App)
    405 Stuart Court, Savannah, GA 31405
    Formerly with US State Department
    google: +1.312.772.3720
    Have Experience - Will Travel





    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 05-21-2025 03:08 PM
    Edited by william fitch 05-21-2025 03:13 PM

    The rule book went went out the door long ago. One must remember, both sides want the same end for us ALL and is being orchestrated by CW. They just take two different paths to get there at two different rates. But the end is the same. AS was stated so well in "Hunger Games", a little hope is a good thing, too much is bad. But what Snow left out was no hope is just as dangerous. So, two sides you have. Ra, Ra for my side. 

    Don't be fooled.



    ------------------------------
    william fitch
    Owner
    www.WeAreSolar.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Solar Incentives under Threat Update

    Silver
    Contributor
    Posted 05-22-2025 04:29 PM
    Edited by Timothy Mcbride 05-26-2025 08:07 PM
    President Trump's solar agenda in his second term is characterized by a complex and at times contradictory approach, marked by both support for domestic solar manufacturing and policies that could hinder the broader deployment of solar energy.
    Key aspects of Trump's solar agenda:
    • Emphasis on domestic manufacturing: Trump's administration prioritizes bolstering American solar manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly China.
    • Potential rollback of the residential solar tax credit: A proposed bill in Congress seeks to eliminate the 30% residential solar tax credit at the end of 2025, a move that could significantly impact the affordability of residential solar installations.
    • Focus on large-scale solar: The proposed legislation to repeal the residential tax credit while keeping the commercial credit intact signals a shift towards favoring utility-scale and commercial solar development over residential installations.
    • Tariffs on imported solar panels: Trump's administration has imposed tariffs on imported solar panels, aiming to protect domestic manufacturers but potentially raising costs for consumers.
    • Support for the commercial solar tax credit: The commercial solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) remains at 30% through 2028, suggesting continued support for large-scale solar projects.
    • Alignment with an "America-First" energy strategy: Trump's energy policies, including those related to solar, are framed within an "America-First" energy dominance strategy, prioritizing domestic energy production and security.
    • Potential impacts of Trump's solar agenda:
    • Increased costs for homeowners: The potential elimination of the residential solar tax credit could make solar less affordable for homeowners, potentially slowing down adoption.
    • Growth of domestic solar manufacturing: Policies aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, combined with tariffs on imports, could stimulate growth in the U.S. solar manufacturing sector.
    • Shifting landscape for solar deployment: A focus on large-scale solar projects could lead to a greater concentration of solar capacity in utility-scale projects compared to residential rooftop installations.
    • Continued support for commercial solar: Businesses investing in solar will still have access to the commercial ITC, incentivizing larger-scale solar projects.
    • Note: Trump's solar agenda is subject to ongoing developments and policy changes, particularly concerning the fate of the residential solar tax credit, which is still under consideration in Congress.

    Solar and Storage Industry Pushes Policy Agenda for Trump Administration, New Congress to Strengthen American Energy Leadership

    Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is unveiling a comprehensive policy agenda for President Trump and the 119th Congress

    House passes more bruising budget bill for solar industry  May 22, 2025

    β€œThis historic vote brings the solar industry to the forefront of the conversation about American energy

     " Solar Energy isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Our Sun will be shinning for billions of more years, lets hope the human race will be shinning as well.  We are sure during this time there will be great improvements towards inventions, and innovations to do with the efficiency of this technology that soon will lead to total solar adaption alone on the local level everywhere as the sun shines upon us all omni-presently.

    Solar energy as a whole as well humanity under the Sun just might begin to invent better Bitcoins that do not take much electricity to produce as a medium of exchange, and a much softer intelligent approach to AI that isn't an energy hog, and also EV cars that charge themselves on PV Eways everywhere. The future isn't written in stone, in fact it is as flexible and fluid as a sunbeam bouncing off your head then heading off into tomorrow, tomorrow land. 

    Solar energy is poised to become one of the first truly stand alone energy enterprises upon this planet, without government intervention at all, no tax incentives, or subsidies are needed because the production, and efficiency of solar becomes so cost effective and wide spread that none are needed. " 

    Get Ready for Solar Ireland 2025: Advancing Towards Net Zero

    Solar Ireland 2025


    ------------------------------
    Timothy Mcbride
    CEOOwner
    Sol-Era R & D
    ------------------------------

    Original Message