December 12, 2024
US solar advocates have launched a 10-point program to move the sector forward, with a new political regime set to take power in 2025. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has a comprehensive policy agenda for President Donald Trump and the 119th Congress to ensure the United States becomes the world’s dominant solar and storage market.
This policy agenda calls for strengthening the solar and storage industries as part of a broad strategy to achieve American energy independence and security. It calls for eliminating dependence on China for solar and storage components and continuing the ongoing wave of manufacturing investment that has made the United States a top three solar manufacturing center.
“Solar energy is critical to meeting America’s growing electricity needs and providing power for manufacturing, data centers, cryptocurrency and AI,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “This is a roadmap for the Trump Administration and Congress to take advantage of strong federal solar and storage policies and realize their vision of a dominant American energy sector. Implementing this agenda will give the United States control over the solar energy supply chain and ensure that American communities can benefit from solar jobs, storage and economic growth.”
The US solar sector grew by 128% during Trump’s first term, reaching a total installed capacity of 100 GW. This period of growth put the United States on track to become the world’s second-largest solar market today, with 220 GW on the grid and more than 100 solar and storage plants in 43 states.
SEIA’s policy agenda includes the following core objectives:
- Eliminate dependence on China
- Increase in US solar energy production
- Meet the demand challenges of data centers, AI and crypto
- Reduce administrative burden in the energy sector
- Support energy choice and energy freedom
- Protect private property rights
- Bring more jobs to America’s heartland
SEIA and its members will advocate for this agenda during the transition and the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Read the full agenda below.
Top 10 priorities in solar energy
To lay the foundation for a strong energy economy, the solar industry proposes an agenda organized around the following top 10 priorities:
1: American energy dominance.
The US is number 2 in the world in solar energy and number 3 in solar energy production. The solar industry powers more than 35 million American homes in rural and urban areas, while the cost of solar energy has been cut in half over the past decade. Solar energy now makes up the majority of new sources added to the grid, and low-cost energy storage makes solar energy deployable and increases grid reliability. The path to American energy dominance requires an “all of the above strategy” that includes strong solar and battery storage industries.
2. Eliminate dependence on China.
The redesign of the U.S. solar supply chain is well underway and expected to continue to grow. We must get behind this economic engine that creates jobs, supports local economies and is ready to enter the export market. By continuing to grow our solar industry, along with steel and electronics, we will end dependence on Chinese solar products and provide a welcome alternative source of solar panels for our international trading partners.
3. Increase in US manufacturing.
The solar and storage industry has built or is building more than 100 new factories in 43 states, creating 40,000 new jobs. This manufacturing renaissance is just beginning. Strong policies to support production and domestic demand will grow our manufacturing fleet, create more jobs and leverage billions of dollars in new investment.
4. Meet the demand challenges of data centers, AI and crypto.
The electric grid is experiencing the greatest demand growth since World War II, driven by new manufacturing facilities and groundbreaking U.S. innovations in artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining. Businesses will need an all of the above approach to meet these demands, and the vast majority will demand low-cost solar energy. American innovation must have the resources necessary to compete on a global scale to meet energy demand, and solar energy is the key to unlocking their potential.
5. Reduce administrative burden in the energy sector.
In some parts of the country, it can take seven years or more to connect new power plants to the grid. This is simply unacceptable. If we want the U.S. to compete globally and keep the lights on at home, we must adopt common-sense policies that make it easier to get new power onto the grid, allow for competition from new, low-cost sources, and to prevent utilities and network operators from getting carried away. their feet.
6. Regulatory reform and certainty.
Excessive surveillance does not discriminate. We must eliminate wasteful and burdensome efforts to limit infrastructure investments on federal lands, stifle competition, and impose unnecessary EPA rules and regulations on used solar panels.
7. Keep taxes low.
Bipartisan tax policies have encouraged new investments in solar energy for two decades. Solar energy is popular, employing more than a quarter of a million Americans and is critical to energy security and dominance. Keep taxes where they are so the solar and storage industries can continue to support local jobs, factories and economies.
8. Support energy choice and energy freedom.
Solar energy and rooftop home batteries promote consumer choice and energy freedom from monopoly utilities. A new solar energy system is installed on the roof every 39 seconds. Americans love freedom, energy security and low energy costs. If consumers want to switch to solar energy, the government should not stand in their way.
9. Bring more jobs to America’s heartland.
Developers of solar energy projects are encouraged to build new power plants in rural areas with local workers. Today, the top states for solar energy are Texas (No. 2), Florida (No. 3), North Carolina (No. 4), Arizona (No. 5), Nevada (No. 6) and Georgia (No. 7 ). . We owe it to these workers and communities to keep their economies strong.
10. Protect private property rights.
This nation was founded on strong protections for private property rights. But lawmakers are increasingly telling landowners what they can and can’t do with their own property — whether that’s roofs or fields. The trampling of property rights must end, and Washington must send a message that competition, not regulators, sets the rules of the road.
Keywords: policy, SEIA