Legislative/Executive Actions: Solar Energy Industries Association Announces 100-Day Agenda

The Solar Energy Industries Association (“SEIA”) published a report titled:

The Solar Vision – A 100-day Agenda (“Report”)

The Report is described as guidance for the incoming Biden Administration/Congress in regards to energy and climate policy in the United States.

The Report includes a “legislative and executive agenda” for 2021 and beyond. Scenarios are addressed relating to leadership in the White House, federal agencies, United States House of Representatives and Senate.

The Report proposes an agenda organized around what it describes as three strategic principles:

• Achieving Clean Energy Goals & Developing Comprehensive Carbon Policy
• Investing in Clean Energy Infrastructure & the Workforce Needed to Build It
• Ensuring Markets are Competitive & Remain Open to Clean Energy

Legislative goals are described as:

• A tax framework that drives solar deployment (including ITC modifications in light of COVID-19, and longer-term tax policy)
• A meaningful federal carbon policy mechanism
• An Investment Tax Credit for energy storage
• Clean energy development on public lands
• Federal funding for solar energy research and development
• Workforce training and development
• Developing a strong, diverse workforce & supporting a just transition
• Community solar programs and virtual net metering requirements
• Low-income access to solar
• Transmission planning and grid modernization
• Common sense investments for federal properties and other community anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries and hospitals
• Clarification and strengthening of FERC’s siting and permitting authority over interstate transmission projects
• Powering electric vehicles with clean solar energy
• Long-term federal tax policies to support domestic manufacturing of clean energy technologies
• Technology-neutral tax paradigms that allow solar and other clean energy generators to compete fairly with other fuel sources in power markets
• Fair treatment on tax policy

Executive action includes:

• Increase renewable energy deployment on public lands
• Increase solar adoption by federal agencies and facilities
• Improve interregional transmission planning
• Optimize the electrified transportation sector
• Continued support for SolarAPP to streamline local permitting
• Careful enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Responsible trade policy that encourages clean energy growth
• Proper valuation of clean energy benefits to the electric grid
• Fair and transparent PURPA implementation
• Governance of Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators that allows for clean energy to compete fairly
• Organized electricity markets that respect state autonomy

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.