CEO DATELINE - Solar groups differ on how to lobby for tax credit extension
CEO DATELINE - Solar groups differ on how to lobby for tax credit extension
- September 15, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
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The nation's two largest solar industry groups have agreed to disagree on how to lobby for renewal of a federal tax credit used by their members, industry news site Greentech Media reported.
The Solar Energy Industries Association is planning a multi-million dollar campaign to convince lawmakers to extend the Investment Tax Credit another five years. The group believes the tax credit is vital to the solar industry, saying its expiration in 2017 could lead to 100,000 lost jobs and a 60 percent reduction in solar installations, Greentech Media reported, citing internal association documents it had obtained.
SEIA asked the Solar Electric Power Association for $2 million for the campaign. However, SEPA rejected the request, believing contributing to the lobbying campaign could jeopardize its nonprofit status.
The issue for SEPA is it is a 501(c)(3) organization with the primary purpose of education. SEIA, on the other hand, is a 501(c)(6) with much more leniency to lobby.
"While SEPA fully appreciates the impact the (tax credit) has had on the solar industry broadly as well as directly on Solar Power International, the Board determined that funding any elements of an advocacy campaign managed by a 501(c)(6) may be detrimental to SEPA's reputation as an unbiased educational organization," SEPA President Julia Hamm wrote in an email to SEIA CEO Rhone Resch.
However, Resch also raised the possibility that if the tax credit were to go away, then attendance at the trade show both groups host—Solar Power International—would dramatically drop. He noted the show is the primary source of revenue for SEPA.
Hamm told Greentech Media that SEPA is exploring how to approach the issue of the tax credit extension within the scope of its mission. http://bit.ly/1KkjiDS
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