Brian Ramos
US Senator Jackie Rosen, Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones and leading public health, environmental justice and climate advocates visited solar company Sol Up in Las Vegas to announce historic federal investments to reduce gas emissions greenhouse and strengthen sanitation in the state of Nevada. Energy industry in the region. Wednesday, April 12, 2023 Brian Ramos
Friday, April 14, 2023 | 2 hours
According to US Senator Jackie Rosen, Las Vegas has the potential to be much more than the entertainment capital of the world.
Yes, Las Vegas draws tens of millions of visitors each year, dozens of luxury resorts, tons of concerts and shows, and year-round sunshine. But Nevada's Democratic lawmakers also want to focus on the latter.
"We can be the entertainment capital and the solar capital," Rosen said during a tour of Sol Up, a Las Vegas-based solar panel retailer and installer on Dean Martin Drive. The junior US Senator from Nevada was to promote federal investments in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Rosen and U.S. Senator Katherine Cortez Masto of Nevada were key voices in pushing the $738 billion Senate spending bill across party lines before President Joe Biden finally signed it into law in August.
Federal officials estimate that the Inflation Reduction Act will drive about $2.7 billion in renewable energy generation and storage by 2030. This is especially good news for homeowners looking to add solar panels to their homes, in how much they qualify for tax credits under the new law. Installation cost up to 30%.
More than 75,000 Nevadans are expected to install rooftop solar panels over the next five years, Rosen said, adding that the switch to solar will reduce carbon footprints, lower a user's monthly energy bill and create community growth. that could grow the fledgling industry.
The average cost in Nevada to purchase and install a solar system (about $31,000, according to Forbes) is 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour over the expected 25-year life of the panels. Meanwhile, the standard electric rate for Southern Nevada residents is currently 14.44 cents per kWh, according to NV Energy.
"These investments will create good-paying jobs, help reduce household energy bills, and help address the climate crisis," Rosen said. "It's a win-win situation."
According to Environmental Entrepreneurs, a bipartisan group that supports policies that benefit the environment and the economy, Nevada employs approximately 32,378 clean energy workers. That number is expected to at least double over the next decade, according to the Institute for Political Economy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Sol-Up CEO Frank Rieger said the company has grown from moments to today, employing more than 130 people in the seven years since it was founded.
“As a national solar company, we are seeing firsthand the positive impact these federal investments will have on our industry,” Rieger said. "The support of Senator Rosen and the Biden administration is helping us create jobs and grow the solar market in Nevada, which benefits our economy and our environment."
In addition to solar panels, tax credits cover up to 30% of the cost of some home energy efficiency improvements. These include: up to $1,200 credit for adding insulation or installing energy-efficient windows and doors, and up to $2,000 for electric heat pumps. Homes can apply for a credit of up to $150 for a "home energy audit" performed by an inspector.
Low- and middle-income families can receive a discount that covers the full cost of installing appliances such as electric water heaters and clothes dryers.
For more information on tax credits, visit www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy.
