Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-Dover) voted Thursday for legislation that will help set the U.S. on a road to global leadership in the production of solar energy technology. The Solar Technology Roadmap Act (H.R. 3585), which Congressman Hall is a co-sponsor of, builds on the Economic Recovery Act to provide funding for solar development projects that will create green-economy jobs and move the United States toward energy independence. This legislation seeks to enable American solar companies to better compete in a burgeoning worldwide industry by investing in solar energy research and development and by establishing a responsive public-private partnership (called the “Roadmap Committee”) that will guide and direct these investments to better meet the needs of the American industry. The bill passed the House Thursday by a vote of 310 to 106, and will now head to the Senate for consideration.

 

"This legislation takes critical steps towards securing the United States as the world leader in solar energy technology," Congressman Hall said. "It will provide a major influx of investment to American solar research and development companies like those beginning to grow and create good paying jobs right here in the Hudson Valley."

 

The legislation requires the Secretary of Energy to appoint an 11-member Solar Technology Roadmap Committee to write, review and update a Solar Technology Roadmap. This roadmap will establish a comprehensive process to facilitate the research and development of American solar technology in partnership with the private sector. It will lay out objectives for solar technology research and development and provide a path forward to make solar technology more dependable and widely available to American consumers.

 

The Roadmap would authorize the Department of Energy to award grants to entrepreneurs, research agencies and academic laboratories that are leading the field in solar tech development and solar manufacturing. The legislation would authorize over $2 billion to new research partnerships and demonstration projects for solar energy technologies.

 

Congressman Hall is a member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and has a strong record of supporting legislation to reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy.

 

"This is also a question of national security," Hall said. "This bill will help ease our dependence on foreign oil, help curtail the destabilizing consequences of global warming, and help reduce our dangerous trade imbalance. This legislation takes a major step forward to address American security while at the same time strengthening our economic recovery."

 

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