This week, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., brought back a proposal to extend the Solar Investment Tax Credit for another ten years.
Back in April 2019, Crist first introduced the “Sunshine Forever Act,” a bill “that would add another ten years of life to the Solar Investment Tax Credit” which “would allow for an additional decade of increased solar power generation and innovation across the country” on Tuesday.
The U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, led by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., has supported the proposal to extend the 30 percent tax credit which was created in 2006 and started to be phased out in 2019. At the end of 2020, Crist was able to get it extended another two years at 26 percent.
Crist brought his proposal back on Wednesday.
“The Sunshine Forever Act is a common-sense solution that will push the U.S. forward in addressing the climate crisis, while also helping to build back our economy even better,” said Crist. “Floridians know that the threat of climate change and sea-level rise are things we can no longer ignore. And with the energy of the sun so readily available here the Sunshine State, it makes all the sense in the world to get Florida running on sunshine.”
“Representative Crist is an advocate for the solar industry, and we appreciate his continued support,” said Erin Duncan, the vp of congressional affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “The Sunshine Forever Act embraces a long-term extension of the solar Investment Tax Credit, which is a bipartisan, proven way to encourage solar deployment, build resilience, and create economic opportunity. Long-term, stable tax policies can create more certainty for solar businesses, helping us deploy more solar, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and address climate change.”
Crist’s bill was sent to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee this week. So far, Crist has not reeled in any co-sponsors. So far, there is no companion bill over in the U.S. Senate.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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