Solar Subsidies and Scare Tactics

Have you heard the one about the outrageous $39 billion in subsidies awarded to the solar industry? It’s in print, so it must be true…a new “report” from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is getting lots of pick-up in the media since it was released on…hmm, the report isn’t dated. Well, the news coverage has been over the past few weeks

But wait, there’s more to the story? Ken Johnson, a vice president at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) takes issue with the TPA report, in an article published originally on EcoWatch. For one thing, Johnson says, John Parnell of online news outlet PV-Tech.org analyzed the TPA report and found: “The report doesn’t make it clear how it arrived at the $39 billion figure. Of the 26 references cited in the report, 16 of them are from organizations that were either founded by the Koch Brothers, or have received funding from them.”

Who are the Koch (pronounced “coke”) Brothers, you might ask? (If you are very pro- or anti-renewable energy, you’ve probably come across them before.) They are utility-supporting billionaires behind “conservative advocacy groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which lobbies at the state level, and Americans for Prosperity (AFP)…[which] is doing its best to weaken…rooftop solar,” according to a recent New Yorker article. They are also, it turns out, behind the TPA and, therefore, the TPA study.

So wait a minute – the Koch Brothers funded a report, and funded the sources cited in the report? Isn’t that simply a position statement rather than a technical report?

Both pro-solar advocates and solar critics are entitled to their views. This is America, after all. But more transparency would be nice.

Back to the New Yorker article, it focuses on how conservative groups like ALEC and AFP are butting heads with Tea Party conservatives over solar. As the article points out, solar’s “growth has alarmed the energy industry’s old guard – coal, oil and utility companies.”

They are right to be nervous, because the groundswell of support for solar and renewable energy, and for individuals taking control of their energy futures, is unstoppable, in my humble opinion. This groundswell encompasses people of all political affiliations, demographics and incomes. Solar is merely whetting the appetite of citizens tired of monopoly utilities providing them with limited energy options.

Trust me, utilities are preparing behind the scenes for the new world, one in which distributed generation is a fact of life. It would be nice if they would come out of the closet and work openly with policy leaders and industry players to develop solutions that keep everyone in business while benefitting our society, economy and planet.

Just as it would be nice if Koch Brothers-funded TV ads attempting to scare people away from solar by painting solar-owners as freeloaders made it clear who was behind the commercials and why. Instead, consumers are left with two choices: accept the propaganda at face value, or investigate who is actually paying for the ad and, even harder, dig to find the facts behind the claims, if they exist.

Am I biased? Of course. But here’s my disclosure statement: I am partial owner of a solar installation company. It is in my best interest that the solar industry continue to grow. Here’s another disclosure: I don’t make millions in this business. We’re a small local company. But as long as I make enough to pay me and our employees decent wages, I am prepared to keep plugging along, as I am rewarded not only with a modest salary but also with the satisfaction that every panel we put up reduces the amount of carbon being pumped into the air.

Which takes me back to subsidies. Even if the $39 billion figure were backed up with actual facts, that amount would pale in comparison to the hundreds of billions in subsidies given to the oil and gas industries over the years. Check out this Mother Jones article from last April for a dissection of fossil fuel subsidies. Still not convinced? Check out this timeline of Big Oil subsidies.

The different parties involved in the solar debate may continue to butt heads, many of them motivated by the easiest way to line their pockets. But, at the end of the day, the American people want cost-saving energy choices today, and a healthy environment for the next generation. And they won’t be scared away from the pursuit of those ideals.

 

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:

• Net Metering is Not a Subsidy
• How Solar Benefits All, and is Accessible to All