Senate votes to extend Solar, R + D credits

I am excited to report that the $17 billion Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 has been passed by the US Senate by a vote of 93-2. The House still has to approve the renewable energy credits portion of the bill. Reuters reports that the White House said Tuesday morning that it will sign the legislation.

The Act, part of a major tax relief bill, extends investment tax credits for the solar power industry for 8 years until 2016. The Act also benefits homeowners who install solar or wind systems on their homes, eliminates the $2000 cap on residential systems, and allows utilities to utilize the commercial credit. 

Also, the Act allows those taxpayers who trigger AMT to take the solar credit. The Tax Policy Center estimates that roughly one in three tax payers could trigger AMT by 2010.

   -Norris Lozano

Read an article on the Senate action here.

Light It Up

As many are aware, deployment of new technologies for production of renewable energy is potentially the largest economic opportunity in the United States. The triple bottom line benefits for US business owners, workers, homeowners, school children, etc. are extraordinary.  An article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal online expands on this compelling foundation: extension of the Solar Investment Tax Credit is estimated to produce more than 1.2 million employment opportunities, including 440,000 permanent jobs, and $232 billion in investment in the US alone. We urge members of Congress to pass this critical legislation without delay.

     - Norris Lozano

Proverb

Here's a proverb I like:

"When the sun comes up, the gazelle wakes up knowing that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. The lion knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve.

So it doesn't matter whether you're a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running"

     -Norris Lozano

ecoAmerica Ranks Green Colleges

It's been a great pleasure and honor for me to serve on the board of ecoAmerica, a non-profit that helps connect relevant environmental concepts and actions with Americans' everyday concerns. Two recent successes by the group are noteworthy: the GreenCareers program and the Princeton Review's Green Ratings initiative. GreenCareers represents a partnership between MonsterTRAK, Environmental Defense and ecoAmerica, and delivers the first environmentally responsible recruitment website for college students and recent graduates, to help students secure jobs with companies that positively impact the environment. The Green Ratings initiative rates each of the colleges shown in The Best 368 Colleges, 2009 Edition, based on its environmental performance. 11 of the 369 colleges reviewed received a 99 point rating (out of 100) - what's even more gratifying is that these schools are diverse geographically, in size and educational focus. The movement toward environmental sustainability on college campuses is diverse, vibrant and one hopes, a new source of pride and inspiration for young people.

     -Norris Lozano