Solar to take a back seat in next Congress

Even with the recent passage of the Treasury Grant Program, which continues for one year the 30% cash grant for businesses installing solar, this 111th Congress has been no big friend to renewables. A recent study predicts that Republicans in the upcoming Congress will push for more extraction of traditional fossil fuels, resist regulation of carbon emissions, and replace mandates with incentives.

A Dec. 15 post by Solarnation quotes the study by Ernst & Young, and recalls that the House Republicans pre-election "Pledge to America" specifically opposes cap and trade. "

Ernst & Young fully expect Republicans to oppose, delay and hamper EPA rulemaking on regulation of carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act."

According to Solar nation, "it’s also anticipated that Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) will introduce a bill to delay for two years EPA authority to regulate stationary sources, his part of a deal reached with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to compensate her for the failure of her resolution of disapproval of EPA carbon regulation back in March.