Recommendation Of Solar Energy

Recommendation

It is recommend to eliminate solar subsidies programs and find an alternative method for sustainable energy, such as batteries.

Background

Solar power subsidies were introduced to the United States from the development of solar power systems in 1963 as a response to threats of a possible war from the growing nuclear development from space exploration (History of Solar Energy in California, 2014). This event was one of the first significant causes that led Americans to steer away from oil and towards renewable energy. In the 1970’s,increase interest in promoting fuel alternative energy continued when Arab members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) embargoed oil exports to the United States (History of Solar Energy, 2014). In reaction to the crisis, Congress passed the Energy Tax Act (ETA) in 1978 to encourage homeowners to invest in energy conservation by offering a federal energy tax credit of up to $2,000 for people who installed such devices to their homes from 1977-1986 (History of Solar Energy, 2014). In the same year, the California Solar Rights Act was passed in which restricted homeowners associations on the installing solar-energy systems (U.S Department of Energy, 2014). Since then, the Act has been amended twice in 2003 and 2004 “by extending its prohibition on restrictions to all public entities” and “minimize aesthetic solar restrictions to those that cost less than $2,000 and limits building official’s review of solar installations only to those items that relate to specific health and safety requirements of local, state and federal law (U.S Department of Energy, 2014, para. 2).
In 1979, encouraged by the passing of the generous rates from the ETA, California impacted the alt...

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...te change effecting people globally. Republicans, demises these concerns and argue for an increase in domestic oil, natural gas and carbon based sources of energy in order to produce more jobs and economic growth ( Weeks, 2011). However, the Obama administration continues “pressuring for more federal investment in renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and emerging technology such as ‘clean’ coal plants that could capture and bury their greenhouse gas emissions” for its benefits outweighs its negatives (Weeks, 2011, p.459)”.

Since federal solar investment tax credits began in 2006 and the California Solar Initiative started in 2007, policies and subsidies have been instrumental in California’s solar growth (Pfund, 2013). However, with the popularity of solar in California has led to significant drops in the amount of money available for reimbursement.