[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 169 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H8252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SOLAR INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT
(Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, since Congress passed the solar investment
tax credit in 2005, solar installations have grown by 1,600 percent,
Americans have invested $72 billion in solar, and 8,000 businesses in
all 50 States have created 160,000 jobs in the solar industry.
Much of this economic success story is due to the investment tax
credit, which is scheduled to expire at the end of next year. If the
investment tax credit expires, the solar industry could see a 71
percent decline, needlessly costing the American economy 100,000 jobs.
This uncertainty is already affecting the market. Consumers need
confidence in the tax policy before they decide whether to make an
investment into the solar industry. I ask my colleagues to join me in
urging the Ways and Means Committee to expeditiously prioritize a long-
term extension of this critical, job-creating tax incentive.
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