With the 111th Congress expected to be in recess by mid-December, NECA is urging electrical contractors to reach out to their U.S. senators to support extending an energy efficiency program that was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
If the ARRA Section 1603 U.S. Treasury Cash Grant Program is allowed to expire at the end of 2010, it could slow the growing renewable energy industry when it has just begun to realize its potential. Both consumers and contractors stand to lose if the opportunities created by these cash grants for their companies aren’t extended.
ARRA Section 1603 offers wind and solar renewable energy projects a cash grant instead of the 30 percent investment tax credit. The program provides a more immediate incentive for small, start-up companies to invest in renewable energy projects.
The Section 1603 cash grant program led to the creation of real opportunities for energy contractors and thousands of jobs that otherwise would not have existed. According to a report on the stimulus bill, the cash grants directly resulted in 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs in 44 states across the country.
The American Wind Energy Association credits the cash grants with saving 40,000 jobs in construction, manufacturing, and research and development. AWEA also notes that the cash grants enabled the construction of 10,000 MW of new wind capacity in 2009, while just 4000 MW would have been built without the program.
NECA members can access and customize a letter of their support for this program on NECA’s Electronic Advocacy Website.
See also the ARRA Progress Report, August 2010.