Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch today released the following statement on the introduction of climate legislation by Senators John Kerry (D-MA), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT):
“While we’re still analyzing the 987-page bill, we’re pleased with the effort to place a price on carbon, an essential step in stopping global warming and stimulating greater deployment of renewable energy sources like solar. But to really make a difference, we need to ensure that any allowances from this legislation are targeted directly at deploying renewable energy like solar – an energy source that 92 percent of the Americans say they want greater use of, now.
“We also believe that for any climate legislation to succeed, it must embrace one of solar’s key strengths – its diverse applications. Distributed generation solar, like photovoltaics and solar water heating, as well as utility-scale solar power are both crucial to fighting climate change and should be rewarded for generating clean energy. These proven technologies have been working for decades and serve as one of the reliable ways to address global warming.
“Lastly, we hope to see protection for the voluntary renewables market. Previous climate bills have failed to credit homeowners and businesses in voluntary market for the carbon-free energy they are generating. We hope that this major issue has been addressed and individuals have been empowered to have a real impact on the amount of pollution released into our environment.
“Senators Kerry and Lieberman deserve a great deal of credit for pushing ahead with these vitally important issues. We should not pass up this opportunity to move America’s clean energy economy forward. A well-structured bill that deploys more renewable energy will create stable, well-paying jobs, help achieve energy security, and fight global warming. We look forward to working with Congress and the Obama Administration to get the right policies passed into law.”
Source: Seia