Vote Solar

2,250% increase in Solar Energy by 2020?

Despite all this talk of a renewable energy future, the energy bill moving through congress doesn’t do much for solar. (Want to learn why? Read our recent article on the topic).

Senator Stabenow is aiming to change that. She’s introduced an amendment that would require utilities to add small-scale renewable resources such as solar, to their electricity mix.

Let your Senators know that business-as-usual is not good enough. Solar needs to be a bigger part of our national energy future.

November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Senator:

I urge you to work with your colleagues on the Energy and Natural Resources (E&NR) Committee to ensure that Senator Stabenow’s distributed generation (DG) amendment is added to the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in the pending energy bill.

Analysis from the Department of energy shows that the current E&NR RES proposal will do little to bring online solar energy.  Given the unique peak energy shaving and job creation benefits solar energy offers, I strongly urge you to support Senator Stabenow’s efforts to diversify the RES.  The Stabenow amendment would require that 2.25% of our electricity come from small-scale renewable resources such as solar, by 2020.  Solar supplies 1/10th of 1% of our electricity demand right now, so that’s a 2,250% improvement.

Analysis from the Department of Energy shows that the type of solar credit multiplier proposed in the current energy bill have not led to significant solar additions in the states that have included them in their RESs. (1)  Conversely, the 15 states that have a specific solar set-aside in their RES have brought online the majority of solar in the U.S.

Thank you in advance for your consideration, and for supporting the growth of all renewable energy industries in our country.

(1) Ryan Wiser, Berkeley National Laboratory, Presentation to NARUC, November 14, 2007, “Renewables Portfolio Standards: An Opportunity for Expanding State Solar Markets.”  www.solaralliance.org/public_resources/wiser_state_solar_rps_2007.ppt

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