The decision by Democratic stalwart Sen. Harry Reid to retire is sending ripples across the renewable energy industry, which is losing a top supporter of alternative energy. But he is most noted in the energy industry for his long-standing opposition to the nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain in his home state of Nevada.
In his former role as Senate majority leader, Reid was able to block the completion of the waste facility, while supporting his state’s aggressive plans to phase out fossil fuels in favor of an economy powered by renewable energy.
Reid’s plan for Nevada underscored his, and the Obama administration’s, goals for the country, which critics say is to dramatically shift from coal and fossil fuels through stringent new regulations and the pursuit of a green economy powered by solar and wind.
“Today, solar energy continues to be one of the most dynamic, fastest-growing industries in America — and Sen. Reid is one of the big reasons why,” Solar Energy Industry Association President and CEO Rhone Resch said Friday.
“Sen. Reid’s leadership and friendship will be greatly missed, but his legacy as a champion of the environment will live on forever,” Resch said.
Reid’s announced departure also comes as the nuclear power industry says Yucca Mountain “remains the law of the land,” while the industry recognized the importance of a plan announced earlier this week by the Energy Department and a group of senators to seek another permanent waste site.
The administration calls the Yucca facility “unworkable,” according to the Energy Department. Yet, the Nuclear Energy Institute said this week that “the statutorily directed construction of the Yucca Mountain project is another key element that must be part of a comprehensive program.” Consumers “have committed tens of billions of dollars” to a federal fund to develop the site, and the government has spent more than $12 billion from the fund on Yucca Mountain.
“That program is the law of the land and should be completed,” the group said ahead of Reid’s announcement.
But Resch sees the government’s responsibility a different way, in which Reid’s legacy is tied to supporting vital tax credits for his industry.
“Through his determination, vision and leadership, Sen. Reid made developing clean, renewable energy a top priority for our nation,” Resch said. “Over the years, he strongly supported effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which are helping to drive solar energy’s remarkable growth.”
But that tax provision is coming to an end soon, which could spell trouble now that Republicans hold the majority and are opposed to such subsidies.
With that looming, the solar industry appears to be taking a different tack that is focused on job creation and the money it provides to the economy.
In his farewell message to Reid, Resch said, the solar industry “now employs 174,000 Americans nationwide – more than tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter combined – and pumps nearly $18 billion a year into our economy.”
