Record Number of Solar Companies Head to Capitol Hill in Advocacy Blitz
Nearly 70 solar companies visited the offices of more than 100 members of Congress Thursday to discuss the growth of the solar industry, solar jobs, and the industry’s policy priorities.
The event, called Solar Shines on the Hill Day, was organized by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
“There is nothing more powerful than a face-to-face meeting to share with policymakers stories about the value of solar energy to their jurisdictions,” Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO, said. “We know that solar energy enjoys broad bipartisan support, but additional education and awareness is always impactful. We will be talking about jobs, economic growth and what we are doing to accelerate solar deployment, enable healthy competition and provide Americans with the affordable, reliable, clean energy that they deserve.”
SEIA noted that one of its top federal priorities is for Congress to modify the tax code to make energy storage eligible for the investment tax credit.
“Solar and storage jobs aren’t Republican jobs or Democratic jobs–they’re American jobs,” Ilan Gutherz, senior director of policy and strategy for Borrego Solar, said. “On behalf of our hundreds of employees and thousands of customers across the U.S., we look forward to joining our colleagues in advocating for the thousands of additional clean energy jobs that could be created with the right support for emerging energy storage technologies.”
This summer, SEIA also met with members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the top 100 solar congressional districts.
