The Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill is starting to take shape, and US clean energy industry figureheads have sounded the alarm at its initial proposals to roll back the IRA’s measures and restrict foreign technologies.
Battery Council International (BCI) is asking congress to defend domestic battery supply chains. BCI published a briefing for legislators outlining steps to “create jobs, support domestic battery manufacturers and defend the US economy from unfair foreign competition.”
Clean energy trade bodies ACP, ACORE and SEIA have denounced an attempt by Republicans to roll back the Act, which has spurred unprecedented investment in the US market.
Investment tax credit (ITC) incentives for energy storage have been included in the US House of Representatives’ chief tax-writing committee, along with extensions to the solar ITC and reintroduction of a solar production tax credit (PTC).
US Congress has been urged to unlock US$50 billion of federal spending power to implement upgrades to the country’s electricity sector, including measures to support energy storage.
California governor Gavin Newsom has tabled a revision to the US state’s budget which would put US$100 billion into economic recovery, including US$912 million to accelerate progress on climate change mitigation through the energy sector and US$3.2 billion for zero emissions vehicles support.
A subcommittee of the US House Committee on Appropriations has approved more than a billion dollars in support for developing energy storage deployment, research and manufacturing in a funding bill for the 2021 Fiscal Year.
An ITC for standalone energy storage systems could finally become reality with its inclusion in a US$1.5 trillion infrastructure investment Bill, tabled by House Democrats.
