More Than 100 Business-Consumer and Trade Organizations Call on Senate to Pass EE/RE Tax Incentives

More Than 100 Business-Consumer and Trade Organizations Call on Senate to Pass EE/RE Tax Incentives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2008
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RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX PACKAGE WILL SAVE CONSUMERS MONEY, BOOST ECONOMY, CREATE JOBS, SAYS BUSINESS-CONSUMER COALITION MORE THAN 100 RETAILERS, MANUFACTURERS, TRADE GROUPS AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON SENATE TO PASS LEGISLATION WASHINGTON (March 4, 2008) -- A coalition of more than 100 business, trade and advocacy groups today called on the U.S. Senate to pass bipartisan legislation as soon as possible that extends renewable energy and efficiency tax credits that have already expired or will expire at the end of this year. The tax incentives would strengthen the renewable energy industry and expand the market for energy-efficient products, which ultimately would reduce residential and commercial energy costs, generate new domestic jobs, and boost a flagging economy, according to the coalition. “Renewable energy sources like solar and wind are a proven economic engine for our country. They’ve created tens of thousands of green collar jobs and billions of dollars in investment,” said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. “Congress and the administration should seize this opportunity to support this high-growth sector.”

The business-consumer coalition includes 47 manufacturers, including Dow Chemical, DuPont, Owens Corning and Whirlpool; eight retailers, including Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart; 23 trade associations, including the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the National Association of Homebuilders and the National Small Business Association; 25 advocacy groups, including Environment America, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists; and 10 utilities, including Constellation Energy, Exelon and Florida Power & Light. (For a complete list of the 114 coalition members, go to the bottom of this release.)

Historically, Congress has extended clean energy tax incentives in only two-year increments, creating a boom-bust cycle that impedes industry development. The ideal Senate tax incentive package, the coalition said, would extend incentives for wind, solar and biomass for a number of years to provide the stability financial investors need to back new projects. In addition to extending tax credits for renewable energy sources, the coalition urges the Senate to extend tax incentives for constructing energy-efficient buildings, investing in solar electric systems, installing efficient home heating and cooling equipment, manufacturing efficient home appliances, and retrofitting existing homes to save energy. “Our nation’s buildings account for 70 percent of our nation’s electricity use, and that’s why these incentives are vitally important to deploy energy-efficient designs, technologies and equipment,” said R.K. Stewart, former president of the American Institute of Architects. “The end result is that we would get the most energy-conserving buildings possible, which means reduced utility bills for businesses and homeowners, and lower overall energy demand across the nation.” Jeffrey D. DeBoer, president and CEO of the Real Estate Roundtable, a policy organization that represents the commercial real estate industry, agreed. “By extending energy tax incentives, Congress will be encouraging the rapid rollout of a new generation of high performance, energy-efficient green buildings,” he said. “With energy prices soaring, passing these incentives is just common sense and key for any credible energy policy.” Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), also pointed out that an ACEEE analysis found that extending the energy efficiency provisions would add roughly 15,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, considering both added jobs in the energy efficiency and service industries and lost jobs in the traditional energy industries.

Members of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) also see major benefits to extending the incentives. “These energy tax credits encourage the construction of ‘green’ buildings and the use of solar technology, all practices engaged in by RILA member companies,” said Lori Denham, RILA executive vice president for government affairs and industry operations. “Furthermore, these credits encourage consumers to purchase energy-efficient products, such as appliances, which save on energy costs and reduce overall consumption.” Joseph M. McGuire, president of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers explained how the incentives for manufacturers would make it easier for them to market super-efficient clothes washers, refrigerators and dishwashers. “The incentives will accelerate design, production and market acceptance of highly efficient appliances, potentially saving consumers $33 million per year in electricity, gas and water costs and $360 million over the life of those appliances,” he said. Besides the economic rationale for supporting the incentives is the pressing need to address global warming, said Marchant Wentworth, a clean energy advocate at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We don’t have to choose between the economy and the environment,” said Wentworth. “Extending these tax credits will help stimulate the economy and protect public health and the planet at the same time.”

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CONTACT: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Glee Murray, 202-429-8873 x712, www.aceee.org American Institute of Architects, Scott Frank, 202-626-7467, www.aia.org Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Jill Notini, 202-872-5955 x318, www.aham.org Environment America, Sean Garren, 202-683-1250 x332, www.environmentamerica.org Natural Resources Defense Council, Jessica Lass, 202-468-6718, www.nrdc.org The Real Estate Roundtable, Scott Sherwood, 202-639-8400, www.rer.org Retail Industry Leaders Association, Brian Dodge, 703-600-2017, www.retail-leaders.org Solar Energy Industries Association, Monique Hanis, 202.682.0556 x4, www.seia.org Union of Concerned Scientists, Emily Robinson, 202-331-5427, www.ucsusa.org COALITION MEMBERS: Retailers Best Buy Co., Inc. The Home Depot, Inc. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Macy’s Inc. Safeway, Inc. Target Corporation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Whole Foods Market, Inc. Manufacturers Abengoa Solar Akeena Solar Ameresco Applied Materials, Inc. Apricus Inc. Ausra, Inc. Ballard Power Systems BrightSource Energy Conenergy The Dow Chemical Company DuPont Energy Conversion Devices Energy Innovations, Inc. EPV Solar Fuel Cell Energy GridPoint Hydrogenics Johnson Matthey Millennium Cell, Inc. Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc. MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC Oerlikon Owens Corning Plug Power, Inc. PPG Industries Q-Cells AG REgrid Power ReliOn SANYO Energy (U.S.A) Corporation SCHOTT Solar, Inc. Schuco USA LP Sharp Solar SkyFuel Inc. Solar Integrated Solar Millennium LLC Solar Power, Inc. Solar World SOLEC-Solar Energy Corporation Spire Solar, Inc. SunPower Corporation Suntech America, Inc. Trane Trinasolar United Solar Ovonic United Technologies Corporation Whirlpool Corporation USA Biomass Trade Associations American Institute of Architects American Wind Energy Association American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Building Owners and Managers Association International Business Council for Sustainable Energy California Solar Energy Industries Association CCIM Institute Institute of Real Estate Management Insulating Concrete Form Association International Council of Shopping Centers North American Insulation Manufacturers Association National Association of Home Builders National Association of Industrial and Office Properties National Association of REALTORS National Electrical Manufacturers Association National Small Business Association Northeast Public Power Association Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association The Real Estate Roundtable Retail Industry Leaders Association Solar Energy Industries Association US Fuel Cell Council Advocacy Groups Alliance to Save Energy American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy American Council on Renewable Energy American Rivers Audubon Climate Solutions Earthjustice Environment America Environmental and Energy Study Institute Environmental Law & Policy Center Friends Committee on National Legislation Friends of the Earth Greenpeace National Tribal Environmental Council National Wildlife Federation Natural Resources Defense Council New Voice of Business Physicians for Social Responsibility Public Citizen Sierra Club Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Union of Concerned Scientists Western Organization of Resource Councils Western Renewables Group The Vote Solar Initiative Union The United Steelworkers Utility California Energy Commission Constellation Energy Exelon Corporation Florida Power & Light Company Great River Energy PG&E Corporation PPM Energy, Inc. Sacramento Municipal Utility District SunEdison Xcel Energy Company