Politico
By: Sen. John Ensign
March 5, 2008

If you’ve ever traveled to my home state of Nevada, you know that the only thing brighter than the neon lights on the Las Vegas Strip is our hot desert sun. We have some of the best solar energy resources in the world, and I am excited about the large-scale commercialization of these resources.

Some tremendous solar projects have come online in Southern Nevada recently and, with the right incentives at the federal level, they are just the beginning. However, without the right incentives, they may be the sad reminders of a potential that was never met.
Nevada Solar One is the third-largest concentrating solar power plant in the world, Nellis Air Force Base is home to America’s largest photovoltaic solar array, and an assembly plant in the works will use robots to build thermal components for solar plants. Great promise is on the horizon.

Solar energy is quickly becoming an economic engine for Nevada and the United States, creating tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. At the same time, it ensures national energy security and keeps the power on in homes and businesses.
Solar energy also guarantees a diverse and balanced energy portfolio, protecting consumers from relying too heavily on any one energy source. This is a critical time to encourage exploration and development on all energy fronts, and our rapidly growing energy needs mean there is enough demand for all viable resources.

Legislative policies should reflect the necessity for energy diversity and our support for energy independence. The solar investment tax credit removes market barriers for solar energy, gives families and businesses an incentive to harness the sun’s energy, and encourages further innovation in this cutting-edge technology sector. This is public policy that we should all support.

If we do not act soon, the sun will set on this promising source of renewable energy. There will be no driving market force for solar energy without a tax credit. This would be a great loss to the future of renewable energy and our energy security.
Unfortunately, a one-time, eight-year extension of the solar investment tax credit is stalled in the U.S. Senate because Democrats have politicized the issue and insisted on attaching it to politically volatile legislation.

The survival and expansion of solar energy is extremely important and deserves a legitimate opportunity at passage. Sadly, this bill has already failed three times. Tying the success of such legislation to raising taxes or to restricting production of other energy resources is not a sincere proposal and ignores the realities of our domestic energy needs.
I hope my Democratic colleagues will answer the call for energy independence and join me in a serious effort to support this necessary investment in our nation’s energy future.

Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign serves on the Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Subcommittee. He is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.