Building a strong solar industry, complete with local jobs and new business growth, is a national economic imperative.  Congress gets that, and that’s why it passed a Treasury Grant Program as part of the Recovery Act to help make solar and other renewable projects more cost-competitive with heavily subsidized, dirty fossil-based energy sources. 

One of the most important federal policies supporting renewables today, the Treasury Grant Program awards selected commercial solar project developers an upfront grant totaling 30% of the project cost (an alternative to taking the solar investment tax credit).  Just launched in July 2009, this Treasury Grant Program is already scheduled to sunset later this year.