Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association

MSEIA is a solar energy trade and advocacy organization representing New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Established in 1997 by solar energy advocates, it is an historic and highly-effective membership organization that consists of solar developers, contractors, manufacturers, architects, engineers, consultants and other industry professionals.

In addition to policy advocacy on the state and federal level, MSEIA works with local governments to encourage and aid in the development and rapid adoption of solar installations. The result is a new renewable energy economy which fosters green jobs and decreases the use of fossil fuels.

MSEIA is an IRS approved 501 C-6 non-profit organization.and is a regional chapter of the national Solar Energy Industries Association.

HB80 will increase the amount of solar power by a factor of six, and lead to the development of 10,000 megawatts of new renewable energy generation. This legislation would extend the timeline for the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) act to 2026 and strengthen Pennsylvania's competitive position by sending a strong, long-term market signal for new investment.

Importantly, HB80 also has the potential to include solar thermal as a part of our state’s solar share – the first program of its kind in the country! Tens of thousands of green jobs will also be created.

Email your State Representative now. Urge him or her to be a leader in the fight against global warming and support solar and green jobs in PA by voting for HB 80. (A sample letter is attached to email/fax to your representative!) Find your rep here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm

This is a critical moment in supporting HB80, which will increase renewable energy production in PA – please join PA MSEIA in pushing for this legislation!

More PA Updates Coming Soon: PA Sunshine Program status; Long-term contracts; Growing MSEIA PA

URGENT ACTION NEEDED BY ALL NJ SOLAR INSTALLERS ON ANTI-SOLAR LEGISLATION ON PREVAILING WAGE RATES ON PV LABOR

If your business is located in New Jersey, or if you live in New Jersey, it is critical that you pick up the phone and make a call to your State Senator within the next two days. The purpose is to ask the Senator to vote against S.2340/A.3372 , the Prevailing Wage Bill that applies to all BPU – including all renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. It is legislation that has been requested and is being aggressively lobbied for by the I.B.E.W.

Attached please find a detailed position paper sent to Senator Sweeney, the sponsor of the legislation, and the NJ Senate Majority Leader that you can use for pointers and to get fired up.

Below, please find a short script that you can use on the call. I encourage calls – they are far more effective than emails. The best yet is a written letter, but we do not have that kind of time. Feel free to send the attached position paper to your Senator’s office.

Click on the link above which takes you to an interactive geographical map. Find your district and click on it.

Your State Senator and two Assembly members will come up along with their phone numbers and mailing addresses.

Click on the red underlined name of your State Senator and their Home Page will come up.

Click on the area that says “Contact Your Legislator” — Up will come an interactive page in fill in with your name, and yes, your message.

If you Call: Ask for the Chief of Staff, or Legislative Aide that works with Labor legislation. Identify yourself and ask if the Senator has a position on S.2340. If not or undecided ask them to oppose it using the rap below. If supporting, ask them to consider voting against it, and ask if you can email the MSEIA position paper sent to Senator Sweeney. Ask them to follow up with you. Remember that the legislature works for you and not vice versa.

NOTE: Contact only your State Senator where your business or residence is. Residence is better. – NJ Citizens only – If you are a PA or Delaware or NY business and do work in New Jersey, please have a couple of key customers based in NJ call or write, and also any employees who live in NJ.

This is a critically important request – please take the time, because the results will not only affect NJ, but PA, and Delaware, and every other state in the nation.

Dear Senator ______:

I am writing to you as a solar energy business owner (or employee) in New Jersey. I respectfully request that you vote against S.2340/A.3372, which is on second reading in the Senate. This legislation will increase the labor costs of installing solar electric (PV) systems by 180% and overall project costs by 10 – 30%. The result will be a net loss of green jobs and solar energy in the state as contracts fail, and as investors refuse to finance the projects. Financing is critical to the installation of solar energy – with these increases, combined with numerous other obstacles to the growth of solar, the NJ Legislature will be impeding the growth of solar and be responsible for a net LOSS of green energy jobs. I urge your vote of NO on S.2340/A.3372.

Thank you very much,

name
address
phone #

MSEIA POSITION PAPER ON PREVAILING WAGE MANDATE FOR SREC BASED SOLAR PROJECTS:

PV Installers: The NJ BPU IS HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS NEXT WEEK TO TAKE TESTIMONY ON The PSEG SOLAR 4 ALL 120 MW SOLICITATION and THE SOLAR LOAN II PROGRAM.

June 22nd : Newark, NJ 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM
NJBPU 8th Conf Rm. Gateway Two Center, Newark

June 23rd New Brunswick, NJ 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM
Middlesex Co. Admin. Bldg. JFK Square, New Brunswick, NJ

June 25th Mt. Holly, NJ 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM
Burlington Co. Admin. Bldg.
49 Rancocas Rd. Mt. Holly, NJ

MSEIA Members Attend Commonwealth Financing Authority meeting
Vote in Harrisburg - Urge Passage of PA Sunshine Program

Harrisburg – April 13, 2009 – Mid-Atlantic SEIA members filled seats at the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) meeting at Dixon University Center today. Commonwealth Financing Authority is tasked with raising the bonds to fund the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program that was passed under Act #1 last July. With standing room only, a crowd of nearly 30 PA and NJ solar installers, integrators, financiers and other stakeholders, representing 18 companies, attended the CFA meeting. These stakeholders were organized in support the CFA board’s raising of $100M in bonds and approving guidelines for the PA Sunshine Program.

In the run-up to this meeting, MSEIA suggested to its members at a recent quarterly meeting that it was time to go to Harrisburg to ask the members of the CFA’s board to open the rebate program. “Rebates bring down the cost of both solar PV and solar thermal systems and are the primary driving force needed to make solar more affordable for residents and businesses, at the same time creating many hundreds of direct green jobs,” states Ron Celentano, vice president of MSEIA.

After an initial period of discussion between CFA board members and staff, Ron Celentano made a short public statement on behalf of the organization and its members. Celentano highlighted the urgency of raising the bond money needed to fund rebates. He emphasized several points including that new staff are trained, hired and ready to go; hundreds of consumers are waiting with signed contracts, and solar panel inventory has been sitting idle.

After a short break, the CFA reconvened to unanimously approve the bond money for the Sunshine Program, which is now expected to officially open in early May. “MSEIA and Solar Alliance, the two trade associations operating in Pennsylvania want to thank everyone involved with making this program happen and our members look forward to developing lots of solar energy in our state. Mr. Celentano said.

PV America runs concurrently with the Photovoltaic Specialists Conference presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). SEIA, its Mid-Atlantic chapter (MSEIA), and IEEE have joined forces to present the preeminent PV-focused industry conference and trade show in the United States. Programming from the premier technical PV conference is paired with SEIA's policy and market development expertise to give the most current updates on PV technology, industry trends and business opportunities. All proceeds of the event go toward advocacy work to advance policy and expand the U.S. solar industry market.

Please consider joining MSEIA and supporting the work to promote solar energy and promote an new economic sector based on one of the most valuable renewable energy technologies — solar energy.