Local Dems praise passage of tax incentives for renewable energy

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and 1st Congressional District candidate Martin Heinrich gathered at Sacred Power in Albuquerque to praise the passage of renewable energy tax incentives.

Bingaman told the New Mexico Independent the incentives “will help New Mexico because some of the companies that have established here, Schott Solar which is just building a facility out at Mesa Del Sol, they now will be assured that they can make investments to grow that facility and will have a tax incentive to do so.”

Martin Heinrich and Jeff Bingaman speaking before a press conference for renewable energy. Photo by Matthew Reichbach

Bingaman also cited Advent Solar and the hosts Sacred Power as local companies that would benefit from the incentives.

The incentives were passed as part of the controversial bailout bill from last week. Both New Mexico senators voted for the bill along with Congresswoman Heather Wilson. U.S. Senate candidates, and current U.S. Reps. Tom Udall and Steve Pearce voted against the bill.

Heinrich said it won’t only be local solar companies but local residents as well who will benefit from the bill. “They incentivize people putting solar photovoltaics on their own homes.”

Bingaman agreed, saying the government would give energy-efficiency credits of “up to $500″ to residents for things like installing insulation, replacing windows or replacing a hot water heater.

The bill will extend tax incentives for the solar energy industry until 2016. The piece of legislation also extends production tax credits for wind energy through December 2009.

Chavez spoke about the importance of renewable energies, especially solar.

“Solar is our best bet,” the mayor claimed in a short speech.

“It’s really nice — for once — to see incentive go to renewables versus non-renewables which is where, unfortunately, Congress and this administration has been for the last decade,” Chavez said.

All the speakers, from Heinrich to Chavez to the speakers representing Schott Solar, Advent Solar and Sacred Power, repeatedly praised Bingaman’s work in the Senate. Bingaman serves as the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. His Republican colleague from New Mexico, Sen. Pete Domenici, previously served as the chairman of that committee until the Republicans lost control of the Senate in 2006. Domenici still serves as the ranking member of the committee.

Rusty Schmidt, the founder of Advent Solar, said solar technology has “created tens of thousands of jobs in Germany” and noted America is much larger than the European country.

Schmidt also said New Mexico is recognized on the international stage for its renewable corporations. “People around the world are aware of New Mexico as the leaders in solar,” he claimed.

Heinrich is walking the walk as well as talking the talk — he said he has solar panels on his roof.

“No place like central New Mexico has the convergence of factors to do this like we have,” Heinrich said of the ability to take advantage of a new energy economy.

Heinrich said this is because of the entrepreneurship of local companies and the expertise of those at Sandia National Labs.

When asked if the financial rescue package, called by many the bailout bill, was the suitable place for such incentives, Bingaman told the Independent the proponents of such a bill had no choice.

“We did it the only way it was still possible to do it in this Congress,” Bingaman said.

Also in attendance were David Melton of Sacred Power and Mark Lautman, vice president of economic development of Mesa Del Sol, the large Albuquerque development where Advent Solar makes its home.