Yesterday (Thursday, April 3, 2008), Senators Cantwell and Ensign introduced a bipartisan bill, the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008 into the U.S. Senate. It contains much of what we've been fighting for, over the past year, and by TODAY (Friday, April 4, 2008) it needs a total of 61 senators to co-sponsor it, to ensure passage.
Wait a minute--haven't we been here before? If you follow Solar Nation, you'll remember there's already a bill answering to this description that passed the House in February and is waiting its turn in the Senate.
This is true, but the chances are that that bill won't pass the Senate, since funding for it is still slated to come from the oil and gas industry, a feature that has doomed similar bills twice before.
The Cantwell/Ensign bill, on the other hand, is a pared-down version with a much smaller price tag of $7 billion, which:
- extends the investment tax credit for commercial solar power installations for 8 years
- extends the residential solar investment tax credit for one year and
- removes the current $2000 credit cap
- removes the exemption on utilities for claiming these tax credits
- allows the tax credit to offset alternative minimum tax
- extends incentives for energy efficiency improvements
This is the bill that has the best chance of keeping Solar alive until (and if) Congress can pass a stronger bill next year; in fact, among the 23 co-sponsors it already has, there are some senators who have been steadfast hold-outs to past energy bills.
Please call :
Sen. Lugar's office 202-224-4814; and
Sen. Bayh's office 202-224-5623.
Ask them to sign on to the Cantwell/Ensign bill as a co-sponsor.
Can you make a call to their office TODAY and urge them to get on board?
2 comments:
Anyone know who sponsored this bill?
I'd like to know if my Representative
was or was not a sponsor, because he's going to hear from me till the end of eternity!!! if he didn't.
The answer to your question is somewhat complicated. The Cantwell-Ensign Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008 is a new bill and therefore, we don't have a voting history for the U.S. House of Representatives on this specific proposal yet.
One of my earlier posts to this blog describes the most recent action on this subject in the U.S. House of Representatives. See http://indianarenew.blogspot.com/2008/02/us-house-passes-renewable-energy-bill.html This post describes the House Bill and gives the voting history for the Indiana House delegation as well as a link to the roll call for all members of the U.S. House. Hopefully, this will answer your questions about your Representative.
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