Arizona lawmaker says bipartisan vote shows strong support for developing American sources of energy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ bipartisan legislation to boost federal research for the development of solar energy technology passed the House today with strong support from the business community.
“Our ability to harness the power of the sun and put it to work for us depends on technology,” the Arizona lawmaker said after this afternoon’s vote. “Improving this technology means increasing the amazing potential of solar energy to meeting our energy needs. This is what my bill is about. It will advance solar research and help move critical new technologies out of the laboratories and into our homes and businesses.”
The Solar Technology Roadmap Act was approved by the House in a 310-to-106 vote – 247 Democrats and 63 Republicans.
“Democrats and Republicans alike recognize the need to develop American sources of energy,” Giffords said. “We know that sending more than $400 billion a year overseas to buy foreign energy weakens our economy, strengthens our enemies and undermines our national security. Tapping our own energy resources like solar represents an opportunity that we cannot afford to pass up.”
Giffords’ bill went to the floor with 32 co-sponsors – 26 Democrats and six Republicans. It also had the support of numerous companies and organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Solar Energy Industries Association, BP Solar, IBM, Intel and National Semiconductor.
In a letter to House members, R. Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, urged support for the bill. “To make solar electricity more competitive, the Chamber supports increased funding for research, development and demonstration for solar projects,” Josten wrote.
Reyad Fezzani, chief executive officer of BP Solar, also called for passage of the bill. In a letter to Giffords, he wrote, “This legislation will support significant growth in the solar energy sector by providing the tools and resources necessary to advance the next generation of solar power.”
Fezzani added, “The Solar Technology Roadmap Act is a critical step in furthering the development and deployment of new, cutting-edge solar technology that will provide efficient, economic and low-carbon power solutions to the United States and across the globe. This bill will help the U.S. be a great leader in solar power and renewable energy.”
The Solar Technology Roadmap Act will increase solar funding to the U.S. Department of Energy and help focus research and development funding through a plan created by a private/public committee. The roadmap provision is modeled on the successful National (now International) Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, which has been instrumental in helping semiconductor technology advance rapidly over the past two decades.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and other members of the House praised today’s passage of the bill.
“I applaud Congresswoman Giffords for her leadership on this important legislation, which will promote innovation and strengthen the development of solar energy technology,” said Hoyer. “Aiding investment and growth in this critical sector is crucial to our efforts to promote domestic energy security and spur the next generation of technologies that foster high quality jobs for American workers.”
“This bill lays the roadmap for the U.S. to lead in solar energy,” said Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington who serves as co-chairman of the Congressional Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. “The steering committee established by this bill will be able to respond and address the scientific needs and demands of the growing U.S. solar industry. I commend Congresswoman Giffords for her outstanding work on this bill.”
Rep. Steve Israel of New York, also a co-chairman of the coalition, said the bill “will help to ensure that solar energy technology, and the clean-energy jobs that come with it, are produced here in the U.S.”
Giffords, a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, introduced the Solar Technology Roadmap Act on Sept. 17. It was approved by the committee Oct. 7.
Giffords’ legislation would require the U.S. Department of Energy to appoint a group of experts to create a long-term plan to guide solar energy research and its transition into commercial uses. The group would identify research and development that needs to occur to help improve the performance and reliability of solar technologies, decrease costs, reduce water use and mitigate any negative environmental impacts. It would be subject to a comprehensive revision every three years to keep it current.
The legislation also authorizes $2.25 billion for solar research over the next five years.
Passage of the bill was enthusiastically lauded by a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission and a member of the Tucson City Council, both of whom have been at the forefront of efforts to encourage the use of solar energy. A Tucsonan who owns a company that sells and installs renewable energy systems also praised the bill.
Kris Mayes, chairwoman of the Arizona Corporation Commission and a leading proponent of solar energy, praised the House for passing the bill.
“The passage of Congresswoman Giffords’ Solar Technology Roadmap Act represents a milestone in the development of a more sustainable energy future,” said Mayes. “The research and development and project funding contained in this legislation will help states such as Arizona deploy efficient, cost-effective solar, which will benefit consumers and drive the solar revolution forward.”
Councilwoman Shirley Scott, whose Ward 2 office is partially powered by solar energy, said Giffords should be commended for introducing legislation that would create a long-term plan to guide solar energy research and its transition into commercial uses.
“The city of Tucson has been at the forefront of integrating solar technology into public buildings. Ten years ago, my own City Council office became the first city of Tucson-owned facility to have solar power and have green building principles incorporated into all aspects of design. I have pushed to have solar energy used in more city facilities, and this legislation will aid those efforts,” Scott said. “Passage of the Solar Technology Roadmap Act represents a tangible step forward that will accelerate the pace of solar energy research. It also will bring this technology to the marketplace in a way that more consumers will be able to use.’
Kevin Koch, owner of Technicians for Sustainability, which sells and installs renewable energy systems, said passage of the bill will lead to changes in the nation’s energy future.
“I applaud Congresswoman Giffords’ work in preparing and passing the Solar Technology Roadmap Act,” said Koch. “When it is signed into law, it will mark another milestone in America’s transition to a renewable energy economy. This legislation is the kind of proactive leadership necessary to enable substantive change in our country’s energy future. In providing a forum for the solar industry and the nation to think and learn together, our ability to quickly and efficiently transition to renewable energy will be greatly advanced.”
“The Solar Technology Roadmap Act is a significant step in addressing some of the great challenges our society is facing today, including climate change, energy security and the need to transition our workforce to into new jobs that will support the future health not only of the United States, but of the world,” he said. “Passage of this bill will help to identify and overcome some of the major obstacles to widespread renewable energy adoption, including energy storage, technology selection and policy best practices”