A Solar Bill of Rights
The Phoenix Sun
When I heard about a new solar bill unveiled yesterday at the SolarPower International convention, my first thoughts were: Who’s thesponsor and what committee will hold the hearings? The answer to thefirst question is: Rhone Resch. That caught me by surprise. I know Mr.Resch only as the head a solar trade group, the Solar Energy IndustriesAssociation (SEIA). Hadn’t heard he had run for Congress.
It turns out, Resch is not a member of Congress and no committee will decide the fate of this bill.
While Resch’s document is enumerated like the Bill of Rights, it has far more in common with another early American document: the Declaration of Independence.
Write it off as a rhetorical flourish or a good sound bite if youwill, but read the document and you’ll quickly recognize that Resch isas serious as Thomas Jefferson was when he drafted his “Dear George”letter to the King of England.
The phrase “Energy Independence” generally refers to an America freefrom addiction to foreign sources of energy. But if the phrase has adomestic side — Resch’s document embodies it.
Image: Rhone Resch, head of the Solar Energy Industries Association
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The Phoenix Sun covers solar power from Phoenix, Arizona – the sunniest major city in the nation. In addition to reportingon innovations in solar technology, green job growth and advice for homeowners who want to go solar, the Sun investigates stories you won’t findelsewhere. We cover the legal, political and regulatory framework that has keptthe US solar power industry far behind competitors in Europe and Asia. And wetrack the potential for a solar surge today and tomorrow. The sun isedited by investigative reporter Osha Gray Davidson who has covered theenvironment and politics for 25 years, writing for Mother Jones, RollingStone, the New York Times, and other national and international publications.Articles l Homepage