6

Federal and State Energy Policies

The United States is far behind its competitors in national-level solar policy, which is expected given that it has never had a comprehensive energy policy. While the federal consumer tax credit of 30% for solar systems is one of the strongest drivers of the industry, the incentive structure from the US government is more of a patchwork quilt than a comprehensively and cohesively developed plan. Unlike its rivals, it has no national feed-in-tariff legislation and no renewable portfolio standard.

Many states are filling in the gaps, with consumer incentives, state targets, and other programs. The federal response is currently limited to tax credits and deductions, federal installations, and supporting R&D and ...

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