Actions taken to protect the solar investment tax credit

[Anne Hedin]

Hi solar friends, 

If you participated in the SUN Solar Action Hour in March or wrote postcards to Rep. Houchin to ask her to protect the solar investment tax credit, you might be wondering what became of it. I’ve got a partial answer for you. As one of two Indiana solar homeowners sponsored by Solar United Neighbors, I had the good fortune to go to Capitol Hill to tell our elected representatives how the solar investment tax credit had benefited me and my community.

Afterwards, SUN Indiana gave my name to WXIN TV/Fox 59 as an interview source for their coverage of the event. Fox59 aired the story multiple times on April 2. I was amazed at the highly positive pro-solar, pro-tax credit tone of the coverage. Here’s the clip: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Zlc2QEV7YUVnHReyppBX2OabGJ_YoGr/view

Now for the back story. Representative Erin Houchin *IN District 9) is one of 21 Republican signers to two letters written by Rep. Garbarino (R-NY) to Republican House leadership “to emphasize the importance of prioritizing energy affordability for American families … amid  efforts to repeal or reform current energy tax credits.”  SUN was among some 10 renewable energy-related nonprofit organizations, predominantly from the Midwest and Mountain states, that sent 90 constituents to meet the signers of the Garbarino letters, as a way to strengthen their hand in budget negotiations.

SUN had already mobilized more than 1,000 advocates to email their legislators in support of solar. I went to Washington carrying 35 postcards written by members of Earth Care. Bloomington’s faith response to climate change.  It was disappointing not to meet with Rep. Houchin personally (she did not schedule a meeting) but I was able to hand-deliver the postcards to her legislative director. He started reading them on the spot.   

SUN will be holding another Save Solar Action Hour on April 22, from 7-8 pm. You can register for it here. Please do it. This is one of the best chances we have to protect our interests.

 

[sura gail tala]

At the UU Church we wrote whole letters that will also be hand delivered this week to her partly encouraging her to encourage her colleagues to take action

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[Anne Hedin]

That's great, Sura! Keep those cards and letters coming.

 

Anne

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/sirensolar.org/d/msgid/forum/CAH3SaEALURPrigrSYPczNUqNvgHB2O2bLdXi3bREvV2gRb%3DzzA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Zach Schalk]

Thanks Anne and Sura! This is indeed a critical time for contacting legislators to save solar. The ongoing negotiations in the House of Representatives that could impact solar tax credits (among many other critical policies for the renewable energy transition) could be wrapping up as soon as next week.

SUN has a single web page where you can find various ways to take action - writing postcards, emailing / calling legislators, resources for posting on social media, attending upcoming events, and more.

And, as Anne mentioned previously, on April 22 SUN is hosting a meeting where we will provide an update on our campaign to save solar from federal cuts before we all take time to call our elected officials together. I hope you'll join us!

Zach

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/sirensolar.org/d/msgid/forum/605560695.124110.1744128714278%40connect.xfinity.com.

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Zach Schalk

Indiana Program Director

Solar United Neighbors

317.981.2455

pronouns: he, him, his