Friday, February 22, 2008

Solar industry to play hardball in D.C. to get tax credit

From cnet:

The solar industry's trade group is borrowing political tactics from the oil and gas industry to try to extend a tax credit that it considers vital to continued growth of renewable energy.

Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), said Wednesday that his group has created a lobbying coalition of utilities, homebuilders, and environmentalists to pressure Congress to pass a law to extend--and improve --an existing tax credit for renewable energy investments.

The group has also formed a political action committee to ensure that Congress members who voted against the renewable energy tax credit are not re-elected, he said.

"We talk about the green revolution...It's not a revolution until some blood gets spilled," said Resch, who spoke at the Piper Jaffray Clean Technology and Renewables Conference here Wednesday....MORE