American Voters Cast Their Ballots For Change

It’s time for Washington to change the way it does business.

With widespread voter dissatisfaction evident in Tuesday’s national and state elections, we need a new approach – and a more collaborative approach – when it comes to solving many of our nation’s pressing problems.

As a national association of leading businesses – with more than 1,000 member companies located all across America – we remain completely committed to finding common sense ways to create new jobs, stimulate economic development, remove market barriers and improve our nation’s energy security.  With the elections now behind us, it’s critically important for our leaders in Washington, as well as our state capitals, to put aside their differences and work together to find real solutions that will grow our economy and put more people to work. 

As one of the fastest-growing industries in America, solar is a shining example of how stable, consistent and reliable public policies – such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Net Energy Metering (NEM) – are paying huge dividends for our economy and environment.  As pundits analyze the results of Tuesday’s elections, here is one important mandate to remember: Polls consistently show that 9 out of 10 Americans want to see an expanded use of solar energy nationwide.  We stand ready to work with Congress, our nation’s governors and state legislatures to make that a reality.

What should the solar industry do?

The midterm election results reinforce our current strategy of expanding our outreach and educational efforts with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to demonstrate the importance of the 30 percent solar ITC to our industry – and to America’s future. 

There are more than half of a dozen Republican Senators from states with a booming solar industry who are up for reelection in 2016.  We need to educate these and other Congressional leaders on the importance of the solar industry to their state’s economy and to future growth of investment and employment. 

Over the next two years, we need to step up our game and get more solar companies involved in these efforts.  SEIA staff can help you implement each of the action items below, with solar policy fact sheets and talking points, advice on how to approach your Member of Congress and assistance in setting up congressional visits.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Reach out to your Senators and Members of Congress to request a meeting in your state or district to discuss the solar industry’s growth in their state/district and to educate them on the need for stable government policies to maintain that growth.
2. Invite your Senators and Members of Congress to tour your company’s offices and solar facilities.
3. Invite your Senators and Members of Congress to any groundbreaking or startup ceremonies of your company’s solar projects.
4. Participate in SEIA’s Member Lobby Days, in which SEIA members come to Washington DC and join SEIA’s lobby teams as we meet with Capitol Hill offices.
5. Join SEIA’s Solar PAC and participate in political events both in your state and in Washington DC.  Fundraising events give our solar companies one more opportunity to educate Senators and Members of Congress on issues important to the solar industry.
6. Encourage other solar companies to join SEIA.  We currently have more than 1,000 SEIA member companies in 48 states.  But thousands more are eligible to join.  There is strength in numbers, and the more members SEIA has, the louder solar’s voice will be in Washington and our state capitals.  

Get active, get involved, get connected.  We are all in this fight together!