Record Number of Solar Companies Head to Capitol Hill in Advocacy Blitz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), today nearly 70 solar companies are visiting the offices of more than 100 members of Congress in an educational advocacy blitz called Solar Shines on the Hill Day.

Solar workers from across the nation will be meeting with members of Congress and their staffs to educate them on the significant growth of the solar industry, corresponding jobs in their districts and states, and the industry’s policy priorities.

One of SEIA’s top federal policy priorities is for Congress to modify the tax code to include energy storage as an eligible technology for the investment tax credit. SEIA’s Solar Shines on the Hill Day builds on the advocacy efforts from this summer when SEIA met with members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the top 100 solar congressional districts.

“There is nothing more powerful than a face-to-face meeting to share with policymakers stories about the value of solar energy to their jurisdictions,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “We know that solar energy enjoys broad bipartisan support, but additional education and awareness is always impactful. We will be talking about jobs, economic growth and what we are doing to accelerate solar deployment, enable healthy competition and provide Americans with the affordable, reliable, clean energy that they deserve.”

“Solar and storage jobs aren’t Republican jobs or Democratic jobs–they’re American jobs,” said Ilan Gutherz, Sr. Director of Policy and Strategy for Borrego Solar. “On behalf of our hundreds of employees and thousands of customers across the U.S., we look forward to joining our colleagues in advocating for the thousands of additional clean energy jobs that could be created with the right support for emerging energy storage technologies.”

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About SEIA®:

Celebrating its 44th anniversary in 2018, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, which now employs more than 250,000 Americans. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to build jobs and diversity, champion the use of cost-competitive solar in America, remove market barriers and educate the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

Media Contact:

Morgan Lyons, SEIA’s Communications Manager, mlyons@seia.org (202) 556-2872