(Republic) Senator Attacks Solar Energy Industry

[jpak]

http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/06/15/senator-attacks-solar-energy-industry/

In a blistering attack, Nevada’s Republican senator John Ensign has launched an offensive against solar energy lobbyists, ahead of a crucial vote on renewable energy tax credits.

Breaking ranks with the the state’s increasingly important solar industry, Ensign said that efforts by the Solar Energy Industry Association to force his hand on tax breaks had in fact had the opposite effect of “personally alienating” him and other senators.

In a scathing letter, later released to the press, Ensign accused the lobby group of squandering goodwill by accusing him of favouring “billionaire hedge fund managers” over job creation in Nevada. Indicating the depth of his feelings on the issue, he went on to say “It is rare to have such overwhelming bipartisan support in today’s political climate but the solar industry had it and your association’s leadership squandered it.”

Nevada solar executives had privately become increasingly unhappy with the Senator’s record of voting against bills containing the tax credits. Ensign said that he opposed the bills because the funds for tax breaks would have been raised by increasing the burden on the oil and gas industry. Earlier this spring, he co-sponsored an alternative approach, calling for tax credits without the corresponding offsets. It made it through the Senate by a vote of 88-8, but has become bogged down in the House.

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[newfie11]

1. Germany's solar power is way ahead of us because of idiots like this

How on earth do people like this get reelected?

[davidinalameda]

2. because the voters are bigger idiots?

:shrug:

[diane in sf]

3. Repuglican owned voting machines?

[Zorro]

4. Hope this gets resolved this year

I believe the issue is related to the $2K tax credit cap for residential solar power installations.

The Senate bill eliminated that limit, which I believe would default to a tax credit of 30% of the installation cost. That's certainly a much better incentive for people to invest in solar.

[kestrel91316]

5. Here we go again, John. PLEASE STOP embarrassing me this way.

Every time you make an ass out of yourself, people ask me, don't you know that guy? I'm about ready to start denying it. You are SUCH an asswipe these days.