By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
What Happened:Five Congresspeople – two Democrats and three Republicans – have sponsored the Protecting American Solar Jobs Act (HR 5571).
SolarWakeup’s View: Showing an unusual level of bipartisanship, five Congressman have introduced a bill that would repeal the current solar tariffs and reimburse companies that have been charged tariffs since their February implementation.
Godspeed, Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Sanford (R-SC), Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Steve Knight (R-CA).
The Protecting American Solar Jobs Act (HR 5571) would enact tariff repeal for the duties imposed in February by President Donald J. Trump on all imported solar modules, starting at 30% this year and gradually decreasing over the next four until they would be eliminated entirely.
Just discussing the tariffs for nine months last year created enough uncertainty in the market to cost the U.S. solar industry 9,800 jobs, and most estimates project overall job losses for the four years to be in the neighborhood of 23,000 total. So the solar industry should be doing backflips that this bipartisan effort is coming forth in a House of Representatives that has shown little ability to agree on anything else.
In my opinion, this bill has little chance of even getting out of committee, let alone being allowed on the floor by outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, whose willingness to stand up for American workers and against powerful lobbying groups has been, well, let’s just say it’s been proven a bit lacking in recent years.
Still, what a great rallying cry this bill could be for an industry that needs unity now more than ever before. I’d urge all of you to reach out to your Representatives and demand they support this bipartisan tariff repeal. And when you’re done making those calls, pick up the phone and demand your Senator sponsor a companion tariff repeal bill in their body of Congress.
To paraphrase Emiliano Zapata Salazar, the hero of the Mexican Revolution, it’s better to stand up and fight than die in the shadows. It’s time to take to the battlements and fight for our industry. Start making the calls today.
(It’s worth noting that two of the representatives sponsoring the bill are from South Carolina, where the legislature just snatched solar’s defeat from the jaws of its victory. I wonder if either of them will perhaps mention to their state-level counterparts that the solar revolution is happening whether they like it or not – and perhaps they should get on board or get out of the way.)
More:
Rep. Huffman Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Repeal the Trump Administration’s Harmful Solar Tariffs
Utility Monopolies Screw SC Solar After Sneaky Shift On Bill
South Carolina Sends Solar Soaring With Cap Removal
Bonus:
The times, they are a changin’