Credit: Alliant Energy
As the Senate takes up the House reconciliation bill this week, the solar industry is searching for any clues that the major proposed cuts to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could be tempered in the final version.
On June 4, Utah Sen. John Curtis wrote an op-ed in the Deseret News seeking a “scalpel vs. sledgehammer” approach to reconciliation — especially when it comes to IRA incentives. Sen. Curtis says even though he agrees some elements of the IRA should be cut, others support strategic energy assets and a robust domestic economy.
“To meet President Trump’s goals, we must bring every energy source to the table as part of the solution. If we prematurely cut any one of them off — or do so without a reasonable, responsible offramp — we don’t just risk falling short of our energy targets; we put our economy and national security in jeopardy,” Sen. Curtis writes.
A state-by-state analysis by SEIA found the current version of the budget bill could trigger the closure or cancellation of 331 factories and erase $286 billion in local investment in American communities.
SEIA is organizing a Save Main Street Solar Day of Action for residential solar installers in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 17.
“Sen. Curtis says even though he agrees some elements of the IRA should be cut, others support strategic energy assets and a robust domestic economy.”
Well Senator, carefully define “…stratategic energy assets…” Is that Utility scale energy programs over distributed residential and small business solar PV and smart energy storage system programs? Would “…a robust domestic economy.”, be defined as what the Chips and Science Act is promoting by granting the electronics industry grants and loans to expand manufacturing in the U.S.? The IRA as constituted has had a sliding scale guidance in place for the $7,500 subsidy for BEVs ‘native’ material content that has been adjusted yearly since 2022. It is up to the Senate to “do the right thing”, adjust, abrogate or let these programs be until they sunset in 2032.