Senator Attacks Solar Energy Industry
In a blistering attack, Nevada’s Republican senator John Ensign has launched an offensive against solar energy lobbyists, ahead of a crucial vote on renewable energy tax credits.
Breaking ranks with the the state’s increasingly important solar industry, Ensign said that efforts by the Solar Energy Industry Association to force his hand on tax breaks had in fact had the opposite effect of “personally alienating” him and other senators.
In a scathing letter, later released to the press, Ensign accused the lobby group of squandering goodwill by accusing him of favouring “billionaire hedge fund managers” over job creation in Nevada. Indicating the depth of his feelings on the issue, he went on to say “It is rare to have such overwhelming bipartisan support in today’s political climate but the solar industry had it and your association’s leadership squandered it.”
Nevada solar executives had privately become increasingly unhappy with the Senator’s record of voting against bills containing the tax credits. Ensign said that he opposed the bills because the funds for tax breaks would have been raised by increasing the burden on the oil and gas industry. Earlier this spring, he co-sponsored an alternative approach, calling for tax credits without the corresponding offsets. It made it through the Senate by a vote of 88-8, but has become bogged down in the House.
Last Tuesday, the senate voted to block progress on the Consumer First Energy Act and the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. However, with a new vote expected this week, the rift is likely to dismay observers hopeful of progress on the hotly disputed tax credits bill. A block would be particularly damaging to the renewables industry, which wants to make investment decisions against a background of long-term stability in renewable energy policy.
Other posts on the U.S. Senate and Renewable Energy Policy:
“Senate to Vote on Renewables as Early as Today”
“Senate Passes Renewable Energy Tax Credits. Shouldn’t I Be More Excited?”
“Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008 Lacks Support”
I agree totally!
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
What do you nitwits think will happen to the price of gas if Washington increases taxes on oil companies?
How retarded can you be?
Tanner said on June 16th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Don’t you think that if we reduced the tax credits for oil, that the oil companies would just raise the price of gas to offset the loss?
I think an exponential tax on oil company gasoline profits WITHOUT ANY LOOP HOLES will solve this issue.
Say, everything over 2 cent profit a gallon causes $1.00 tax per cent of profit.
They can then earn enough profit on gas that they bankrupt themselves.
WTF is with this man. Solar is great,clean, and near infinite. You see children he is being paid off and while I think there is nothing wrong as long as he knows he is going to burn for this. I hope he is getting alot of money for selling his soul. - Maxxstiles
Honestly it seems people jump all over anyone who says any little thing bad about alternate energy. More so if said person has Republican next to their name. Its not siding with oil companies to not want to increase tax burden on them, just common sense. They will increase the prices of fuel if you cut into the profits they make. seeing as how solar isn’t viable enough to fully compete with oil on all fronts, subsidized or not, mostly in the automotive side of oil use. It would only hurt us until viable tech comes along to compete with oil in the powering of cars. Besides, getting the government involved in anything just muddles it up.
Senator Ensign’s opinion on solar energy policy should come as no surprise. As a Republican his comments fall right into line with the anti-science attitude of the conservative right. If anyone remembers, Reagans first term in office he had Jimmy Carters solar panels taken off the roof of the Whitehouse. It is a GOP party line. Anything having to do with conservation of any kind. Not many of them seem to understand, that the destruction of the countrys resources will not benefit anyone. Especially not their own children who will have to live with the mess they leave. Just the same as the rest of us.
As a Republican he supports the oil industry. We not only subsidize oil, but in case no one has heard, the oil industry has literally many hundreds of oil leases obtained from the government. These leases have never been drilled on. They have been there for years. Instead they want to drill in a pristine area. This area will not produce for minimum of five to ten years. And will only produce a very limited amount of oil. Some scientist say as little as six months worth.
These oil leases are not used because it would lower the profits of oil companies. Most of these leases are on our own land.
What can I say? This man is a Republican. Now that says it all.
John Ensign sucks lemons, but tax credits suck more. Eliminate tax credits for energy production. Simply mandate a high buyback rate for small power systems as they do in Europe. Why does the US systematically ignore the fact that the wheels have already been invented for energy technology, and implemented, overseas? Cripes. Could these self-important politicians just go play some golf and GET OUT OF THE WAY. And would everyone stop voting these cretins into office!?
It will be really funny when this guy gets reelected. Call me a cynic.
People , please just vote against this kind of people… Teach them a lesson… We don’t want them!
Vote Democrat, change USA and help change the world!!!
The way to fix this is simply organize and vote this A$$hole out of public office forever and put in a guy with integrity who isn’t bribed by the oil industry.