Representatives of America’s top solar energy companies visited Washington D.C. today, and representative of Israeli renewable energy organizations visited Jerusalem last week – to call for new governmental policies to encourage the growth of a domestic solar energy industry that will promote economic growth, create jobs, and help meet greenhouse gas emissions goals.
It’s a shame that the US and Israel – scientific & technology leaders – are far behind many European countries in supporting energy, environmental and economic future. To make Israel, as well as the US, a 21st century solar power, we need smart and effective government policies that will help the private sector grow, thrive and create thousands of new jobs.
Although while in Israel only some rank and file people were meeting with the new and very open minded minister of national infrastructures, in the US representatives from several leading solar technology companies – Dow Chemicals, Abengoa Solar, BP Solar, Kyocera, National Semiconductor Corporation, Sanyo, SCHOTT Solar, Solar Power Industries, SolarWorld & Suniva, Inc. -met with key members of Congress and the Administration. They delivered to policy makers a Four Point Policy Plan that outlines the steps needed to encourage the adoption of solar energy technologies and support a new renewable energy manufacturing sector in America.
The plan calls to:
1) Enact a broad legislative and regulatory package, designed to
encourage the rapid growth of a viable renewable energy industry and
encourage consumer adoption.
2) Increase investments in research and development to support innovation
in solar energy technologies.
3) Increase renewable energy-related education, training and job creation.
4) Establish the government as a leader in the utilization of clean
energy technologies.
Uzi Landau & Steven Chu - What are you waiting for?
