[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3490-3491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SOLAR UNITING NEIGHBORHOODS ACT

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I want to speak about a bill 
that is born from the forward-thinking ideas of our constituents--a 
bill that will help spur our Nation's new energy economy and create 
jobs. To that end, tomorrow I will introduce the Solar Uniting 
Neighborhoods Act, or the SUN Act.
  Last year, I began traveling across Colorado as part of a workforce 
tour to listen directly to Coloradans and hear their innovative policy 
ideas to create jobs. These ongoing efforts not only make me proud to 
be a Coloradan but they help me identify ways the Federal Government 
can help--or in some cases get out of the way--in supporting economic 
development and investing in Colorado. The SUN Act comes from directly 
visiting with Coloradans. It was one of the several job creation 
proposals developed after I hosted an energy jobs summit last month in 
Colorado.
  Our summit brought together leading clean energy stakeholders from 
the worlds of business and public interest and government. Many of our 
top elected officials were there, including Energy Secretary Steven 
Chu, Governor Bill Ritter, Senator Michael Bennet, and Congressman Ed 
Perlmutter. They were there to discuss ways to sensibly spur job growth 
in our emerging clean energy economy. In the coming weeks, I will be 
introducing further legislation developed in part from the creative 
ideas that flowed from the clean energy summit.
  The SUN Act will bring common sense to our Tax Code, get government 
out of the way of developing solar energy and spur job growth in every 
community across the United States. Americans currently qualify for a 
30-percent Federal tax credit for the cost of installing solar panels 
on their homes. These solar panels are a great way to convert sunlight 
to electricity, and over time they save American families money on 
their utility bills. A few years ago, I installed panels on my own home 
to take advantage of the Sun, which is very strong in the great State 
of Colorado. But I have come to understand that this option isn't 
available for all American families who want to receive their 
electricity from solar power. Why? Well, there can be difficulties 
attaching solar panels to your home, which is why more and more 
neighborhoods and towns are creating so-called ``community solar'' 
projects. In those projects, instead of attaching the panels on every 
roof on the block, an increasing number of families have decided to 
place those same solar panels together in one open and unobstructed 
sunny area near their homes. By grouping these solar panels, you can 
reduce the cost by 30 percent compared to installing a panel or a set 
of

[[Page 3491]]

panels on every roof in the neighborhood. Moreover, community solar 
projects streamline maintenance and optimize energy production by 
avoiding trees, buildings, and other obstructions. Whether used by 
neighbors living at the end of a cul-de-sac or developed by a rural 
energy cooperative, creating these group solar projects to share energy 
is a great way to lower the cost of making electricity through the 
marvelous technology of photovoltaic units.
  But there is a problem. Our Tax Code gets in the way. Why? Well, we 
have seen the Federal Tax Code discourage neighborhood solar projects 
because it requires the panels to be on your property. To put it 
simply, Federal law is telling Americans they need to have their solar 
panels affixed to their roofs instead of being able to partner with 
their neighbors on a community solar project. So this discourages 
innovation and slows the growth of solar power as an alternative energy 
source.
  Back to the reason why I am introducing the SUN Act. It makes a small 
change in the Tax Code so that we no longer will be constrained in this 
innovative solar energy opportunity. By eliminating the requirement 
that the solar panel be on one individual's property, it frees 
Americans to work together on community projects where each individual 
can claim a tax credit on part of a shared project. This simple turnkey 
solution makes it easier to adopt and use clean renewable energy.
  As more and more Americans are realizing, weaning ourselves off 
sources of foreign energy is a bipartisan imperative no matter what you 
think about global warming. Back in 2004, Colorado took a big step 
forward into the emerging clean energy economy when we approved a 
renewable electricity standard--a so-called RES. I know the Presiding 
Officer supports such a concept. It wasn't an easy transition. There 
were a lot of skeptics who feared setting a goal for renewable energy 
would result in job losses. I remember it well. I cochaired the 
campaign for this RES in the State of Colorado with the Republican 
Speaker of our Statehouse, Lola Spradley, who is a close friend. She 
and I toured the State during election season in a bipartisan effort. 
It was a surprise to a lot of people, who thought Republicans and 
Democrats only fight and disagree. We in fact agreed, and we had a 
wonderful time campaigning together. We passed the RES.
  Colorado has initiated other efforts as well and we have easily 
created over 20,000 jobs. We have the fourth highest concentration of 
renewable energy and energy research jobs in our country. Estimates are 
that the solar energy requirement in the RES--because the RES allows 
for wind, biomass, and other kinds of renewable energies--created over 
1,500 jobs.
  So what does this tell us? It tells us what we already know well--
that American capitalism can take the seeds of an idea and create 
positive economic change. So wherever possible, our Federal Government 
should encourage, not hinder, such entrepreneurial ideas and 
entrepreneurs.
  Other important issues are at play as well. As we find our way out of 
the current recession, we are witness to the emergence of powerful 
economic competitors abroad, and we have an increasingly dangerous 
alliance on foreign fossil fuels. So with these factors in mind for our 
own economic and national security, Americans must become the world 
leader in adopting clean energy and creating homegrown jobs.
  The story must be told that clean energy is one of the greatest 
economic opportunities of the 21st century. Fortunately, that is a 
promise we can meet as the global demand for clean energy is growing by 
$1 trillion every year. Let me say that again--$1 trillion every year. 
And what excites me about this bill, like many measures currently being 
debated here in our Chamber, is that it will create jobs for Americans 
in every neighborhood where these community solar projects are 
developed.
  This bill reduces many of the barriers which currently prevent 
Americans from adopting solar energy, opens up new markets and creates 
a simple structure to allow people to utilize clean energy for their 
home.
  As I close, I can tell you there is nothing more thrilling than 
making electricity, which I do in my own home. And then, when you need 
to use it at your home, you use it there. And also, when it is not 
needed, you send it back on the grid for your neighbors to use. So I 
urge my colleagues in both parties to join me in supporting this 
legislation.
  I thank the Presiding Officer for his attention.
  I yield the floor.

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