Hope for a National Renewable
Energy Policy

After nearly falling off the fiscal cliff, the country now faces sequestration…too bad I have no idea what either of those things are. The President and Congress have a lot on their minds right now, but this is what they were elected to do. Deal with complex problems. Come up with dynamic solutions. Make sure we don’t get sequestered, whatever that means…and finally, promote a comprehensive US National Energy Policy that takes on climate change and promotes clean energy as a means to sustainable development.

The current state-driven renewable energy policies are broken. I’ll begin with my home state of Illinois. Applying for the state grant couldn’t be more frustrating; limited funds, a confusing application process and a very short window mean that a lot of people who want solar get left out in the cold and don’t get the grant. On the contractor level, this delays projects sometimes by a year or more while people hold out for the next round. The situation is even worse in Wisconsin, a state that offers a max of $1,200 for renewable project costs, which is typically 5% or less of the overall project budget. Indiana and Michigan offer no incentives for renewables, so residents of those states have to pay the retail price if they want to install solar.

There are countless other states with similar conflicts; policy makers say they want to encourage sound renewable energy policy, but do not pony-up when it comes to the funding. THE FUNDING IS WHAT MATTERS FOR SOLAR! Sorry to go into all-caps mode, but this is particularly frustrating. Political talk about energy policy is cheap, actions speak louder than words. If state legislators actually want to make an impact and help create new jobs and new businesses, they need to do their part and provide the necessary funding that will provide solar customers with a great return on investment, payback under 5 years and the infrastructure needed to meet the energy demands of the future.

How likely is any of this to happen at the state level? According to my sources, not very, but there appears to be some movement in regards to federal policy. President Obama said in his inauguration speech and state of the union address that his administration will tackle climate change because to do otherwise would be irresponsible and jeopardize future generations. He wants the US to jump into the PV revolution and become a leader in renewable systems and green technology.

Strong talk like that gives me hope, but it’s all just talk if Washington doesn’t fund it…so for now I will remain sequestered on the cliffs of cautious optimism, waiting and wanting for the dream of a National Renewable Energy Policy to become reality.