Media Contacts
Lisa Frank
Executive Director, Environment America; Vice President and D.C. Director, The Public Interest Network
WASHINGTON – The House Ways and Means Committee began debate Tuesday on a proposal to take away tax credits for homeowners who install solar panels or energy-efficient heat pumps at the end of 2025. The bill also scraps incentives for new energy-efficient homes, home weatherization projects and the purchase of used electric vehicles this year. In 2023, 3.4 million Americans used federal tax credits for clean energy or energy efficiency home improvements, saving more than $8 billion while contributing to cleaner air.
Pollution from burning fossil fuels was estimated to be responsible for the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans in 2018. Clean energy incentives have helped triple the amount of power the U.S. gets from the sun, wind and geothermal over the past decade, with growth occurring in all 50 states. But upfront costs remain a barrier to Americans who want to choose clean energy.
If the legislation passes, houses of worship, cities, school districts and businesses would also face higher costs and more barriers to go solar, electrify their fleets or improve the efficiency of their buildings. Credits for electric school buses, police cruisers and other commercially used EVs would end this year, while incentives for large-scale renewable energy projects would phase down starting in 2029.
In response, Lisa Frank, executive director of Environment America, said:
“Producing your own power on your roof means freedom for you and a cleaner environment for all of us. Adding a battery keeps the lights on in a storm, and an EV saves you trips to the gas station. Lawmakers should be cheering this on, but this bill would make it harder for Americans to choose clean energy. Why make us pay for polluting power from a plant hundreds of miles away when solar panels on our roofs can do the job even better?”
