Award from Renewable Energy World honors work of Resch and SEIA advancing U.S. solar power

Washington, DC - Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch received RenewableEnergyWorld.com and Renewable Energy World North America magazine's inaugural "Leadership in Renewable Energy" award at their Conference and Expo North America in Austin, Texas yesterday evening. The award recognizes an individual who has made an exceptional contribution in the field of renewable energy.

"It is an honor to accept this award," said Resch. "I do so on behalf of everyone at SEIA and in the industry who have worked hard to advance solar energy. It validates the tremendous progress that SEIA and our industry has made to create jobs, grow markets and develop clean, reliable energy technologies, even in these tough economic times."
Resch was selected for his work in leading the effort to pass the solar investment tax credit (ITC), signed into law in 2008 as well as the industry's success in getting 19 separate provisions in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These provisions helped the industry to create 18,000 new American jobs in 2009.

Resch built on the success by declaring a Solar Bill of Rights (http://www.SolarBillofRights.org/) during the Solar Power International 2009 conference. This call to action includes eight rights designed to create a policy environment that allows solar to compete on a level playing field against the fossil fuel sources that have received decades of federal incentives. It also empowers consumers to choose an energy source that 92 percent of Americans say they want to see developed in the United States.
"I commend the other finalists and Dr. Rohatgi for also being recongized with the Leadership award. It's great to see that solar has such a strong showing in this and other award categories," added Resch.
The solar community was well repesented for the Leadership award. Along with Resch, Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi of Suniva, received the Leadership award for his advancements in materials science that significantly lowered the cost of solar panels. Arno Harris of Recurrent Energy was a finalist for his success in helping the firm grow during a time of consolidation within the solar market. Both Suniva and Recurrent Energy are SEIA member companies.

"Even with this award, the hard work isn't over," said Resch. "America's antiquated energy policies still favor the mature fossil fuel industries and we're up against a well-funded machine that is pouring millions of dollars into lobbying and advertising. We need to continue to fight for an even playing field while continuing to improve American competitiveness through
job creation from coast to coast."

About SEIA:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy.

SEIA Online:
Learn more - http://www.seia.org
Follow SEIA President & CEO Rhone Resch on Twitter - http://twitter.com/RhoneResch
Watch SEIA on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/thesolarindustry
Become a Facebook fan - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Solar-Energy-Industries-Association/112495296809
Read the Solar Bill of Rights - http://www.SolarBillofRights.org