Legislation helped create 18,000 solar industry jobs in 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - Solar Energy Industries Association President and CEO Rhone Resch today released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law:

"One year ago today, President Obama visited a solar installation to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The purpose of the bill was to stimulate immediate job growth with a strong emphasis on clean energy technologies like solar. And that is exactly what happened. In 2009, the Recovery Act helped the solar industry create 18,000 new American jobs. More than 50 new solar energy manufacturing plants are under construction now with the support of ARRA.

"Now Congress needs to keep that momentum going by passing a jobs bill that extends provisions for solar from last year's stimulus bill, which will create more than 20,000 additional jobs in the solar industry in 2010."

SEIA's top policy priorities for the jobs bill are:
· Extending the Treasury Grant Program for two years
· Returning $2 billion to the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program that was used to extend the "Cash for Clunkers" program
· Extending the manufacturing tax credit
· Establishing the Clean Energy Deployment Administration, commonly called the Clean Energy Bank

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.