On the recordJanuary 28, 2015
the sponsor of this bill knows that I, too, am a supporter of solar, and I think we all are, but it is important to recognize what this measure would do. When we are talking about the benefits to this country and how much it will cost, it is important to understand this. When this was first introduced in the 110th Congress, the goal of 10 million solar roofs legislation was too costly, but we have since seen decreased costs and growth in the solar industry that have made this Federal assistance unnecessary. We have seen the residential solar market grow, we have seen the costs drop. The cost of the solar systems have dropped about 60 percent in the last 4 years. Despite these trends, we are not close to reaching that 1 million mark let alone the 10 million installations. So the real question is, How much is this going to cost us to achieve? The proposed rebate per system is the lesser of 15 percent of the initial capital cost. This puts the Federal Government on the hook for up to $100 billion to pay for these installations. We can debate the merits of jobs and job creation, but I again urge my colleagues to oppose the Sanders amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time has expired. The question is on agreeing to the Sanders amendment.
