SENATOR, SUN IN SHOWDOWN

Politics makes strange bedfellows but Senator John Ensign (R-Nev) has been caught cheating.

Nevada is a state rich in solar energy assets. Development of them could represent a bounty for the state’s green industries, green collar work force and New Energy investors.

The Democratic majority in the U.S. Congress has over the last year tied extension of vital New Energy incentives, especially investment tax credits (ITCs) and production tax credits (PTCs), to cuts in fossil fuel industries tax benefits and subsidies. As a result, Senator Ensign has been forced into a compromising position, defending Republican fossil fuels industry patrons in preference to his state’s solar industries.

Ensign seized a rare opportunity in April to sponsor solar energy’s ITCs in a vote on a Senate bill which did not assign spending for them. Ensign felt freed to sponsor the amendment and cynically represent himself as a New Energy supporter because he knew the ITCs would not get past the House of Representatives’ pay-go requirement. He revealed the nature of his cynicism by once again voting against the tax credit extensions June 10.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), having seen through Ensign's strategms, recently included him on a list of Senators it intends to target in the upcoming election season. Ensign replied with angry remarks.

It often happens when a guy gets caught cheating: He gets defensive. That's what makes it obvious he's cheating.

With Nevada's solar assets, a Senator would be foolish to vote against extending solar industry tax credits. (click to enlarge)

Senator assails solar industry
June 14, 2008 (AP via San Jose Mercury News)

WHO
Senator John Ensign (R-Nev); Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) (Rhone Resch, president)

WHAT
In its campaign on behalf of investment tax credits (ITCs), solar energy industry companies and SEIA representatives have criticized Senator Ensign and made statements alienating him.

Yes, Ensign sponsored an amendment favorable to the solar industry when he knew the House would not pass it. But when the chips were on the line last week, he voted AGAINST extending the tax credits. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- The ITCs will expire at the end of 2008.
- Senator Ensign voted against the tax credit extensions in December, February and March.
- In April, the Senate passed a bill that included an amendment co-sponsored by Ensign which included the ITC extension without a provision for funding.
Ensign once again voted against the ITCs June 10.
- From the end of 2007 through the end of march, the Senate turned down 3 opportunities to extend the ITCs and in each instance Ensign voted against extension.

WHERE
In defense of ITCs, SEIA has targeted not only Ensign but other Republican Senators who failesd to support them: John McCain and Jon Kyl of Arizona, Pete Domenici of New Mexico, Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett of Utah and Wayne Allard of Colorado.

WHY
- The fight for ITC extension is part of a larger fight for the extension of PTCs and ITCs covering solar, wind, geothermal and other New Energies as well as energy efficiency programs and advanced transportation technologies such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all electric vehicles (EVs).
- Ensign co-sponsored an amendment to a Senate bill extending the ITCs and PTCs without funding, assured the bill would be stopped in the House. When the Senate was again confronted with a bill the House would approve, Ensign again voted against extension.

Pick your bedfellow, Senator Ensign. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
SEIA statement in anticipation of the June 10 vote: "[Senator Ensign] will have to choose between job-creating solar power for Nevada or continuing a veto threat that protects the offshore tax havens of billionaire hedge-fund managers."