Take Action to support pro-solar amendments during Senate Vote-A-Rama

[Zach Schalk]

Good morning,

After an eventful weekend on the Senate floor, Senators are expected to vote today on their final version of the federal budget bill. As you may have seen, the bill got even worse for solar energy. As currently drafted, in addition to abruptly ending the 25D residential solar tax credit at the end of this year, requiring solar projects seeking the 48E commercial clean energy tax credit to be placed in service at the end of 2027, and imposing unworkable "foreign entity of concern" (FEOC) requirements to avoid having any materials sourced from China in the supply chain, the bill now also imposes a new excise tax on all solar projects after 2027 that are unable to comply with those same unworkable FEOC requirements. 

Earlier this morning, the Senate started the "Vote-A-Rama" process (you can watch the live debate from the Senate floor here) introducing and voting on amendments. There will be several proposed amendments today that would improve the bill for solar energy. 

That means there's still time to fix this bill! Indiana Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks need to hear from you telling them to vote yes on the amendments to save solar!

Here's what you can do:

• Call your Senators - Whether you've never called a Senate office, or you've done so 100 times, this is the most impactful thing you can do today. Use the contact information and messaging tips below to demand action from your elected officials.

Sen. Jim Banks

(202) 224-4814 (Washington DC)

260-321-7130 (Fort Wayne)

Sen. Todd Young

(202) 224-5623 (Washington DC)

(317) 226-6700 (Indianapolis)

• Email your Senators - You can use the resources available from SUN Action at SaveSolar.org to email your Senators. But please personalize the message and incorporate some of the messaging tips below to maximize your impact.
• Share this post on Facebook - Help spread the word about ways to take action in your network.

Messaging tips:

• As a constituent, I'm urging you to save solar energy to keep energy bills affordable, keep our air and water clean and healthy, and support thousands of family-sustaining jobs. Solar energy is the fastest and cheapest way to meet our growing energy needs.
• The new excise tax on solar energy projects is an outrageous attack on the ability of Hoosier families to choose energy freedom by going solar.
• The abrupt and sudden end of the 25D tax credit for residential solar and 48E tax credit for commercial clean energy will cause chaos, costing thousands of jobs, raising energy prices for Hoosier families, and threatening energy reliability at a time of growing demand.
• Please vote yes on amendments offered today that would remove the harmful new solar energy excise tax and provide a common-sense glidepath for ending both the 25D and 48E solar tax credits.

I've also attached an updated handout from the Solar Energy Industries Association here as a resource if helpful.

Thank you to everyone who has taken action to support critical solar policies. We still have time to fix this bill, and all of us working together is the only chance we have to get it done.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Onward,

Zach