Solar Energy Industries Association Issues Statement on Romney Campaign Energy Policy
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch made the following statement following the release of Governor Romney’s Energy Policy White Paper.
"America’s solar industry shares Governor Romney’s desire to achieve energy independence by 2020 as well as his support for using all domestic resources, including solar, to achieve this goal. Solar is a mainstream, reliable, domestic energy source that today generates enough energy to power nearly one million homes across the nation. Today, the solar energy industry employs 100,000 Americans at 5,600 companies – many of them small businesses - in all 50 states. While top financial institutions like Bank of America and Wells Fargo invest in solar, Apple, Wal-Mart, Target and the U.S. military are increasingly relying on solar to keep costs down and meet energy needs.
"We also applaud Governor Romney’s recognition that the federal government can help ensure access to diverse, reliable sources of energy. Every energy source, from oil and coal a century ago to modern natural gas drilling operations, receive federal support to help power our economy. According to a study this year by the Howard Baker Center at the University of Tennessee, federal support for solar deployment is consistent with federal support received by all other major energy sources.
"We agree with Governor Romney that a level playing field is critical; smart policy that’s good for traditional energy sources is also right for solar to reach the Governor’s energy independence goal. Long-standing, bipartisan federal support for domestic energy production provides a stable, predictable business environment that leverages private dollars to finance entrepreneurs to continue innovation, driving more affordable energy for American homes and businesses."
"We also support Governor Romney’s desire to cut red tape. The barriers to energy independence aren’t just technological, they are also regulatory. But don’t stop cutting at the federal level; state and local obstacles prevent Americans from choosing their energy sources today. The solar industry stands ready to continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to streamline regulatory requirements at the federal, state and local levels to allow America to use the abundant energy resources we have been blessed with to power our economy."
The SEIA followed up Resch’s statement with further clarification:
"It is difficult to understand SEIA’s entire strategy from one stand-alone statement, but please recognize that we are taking a tactful approach toward the Romney campaign. We did not endorse his platform, but rather identified several key points in his energy platform as released Aug. 23 that we can support.
"While nearly all American’s share Governor Romney’s desire to achieve energy independence by 2020, SEIA and our members know that solar can be a much bigger share of the mix. Our nation is blessed with some of the best solar resources in the world, and by any objective measure, solar can play an important role in achieving energy independence.
"As we always have, the solar industry stands ready to work in a bipartisan fashion to streamline regulatory requirements and allow our nation to realize solar’s full potential. It’s important to provide stable, predictable policy that builds on the solar industry's significant growth in the past 5 years and provides an atmosphere that allows entrepreneurs to continue the innovation that has yielded significant cost reductions for customers. And that means all customers – residential, commercial and utility-scale.
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