II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2901 

To increase the quantity of solar photovoltaic electricity by providing rebates 

for the purchase and installation of an additional 10,000,000 photovoltaic 

systems by 2024, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 

Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. MENENDEZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

A BILL 

To increase the quantity of solar photovoltaic electricity by 

providing rebates for the purchase and installation of 

an additional 10,000,000 photovoltaic systems by 2024, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘10 Million Solar Roofs 

5 Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) there is enormous potential for increasing 

2 the quantity of electricity produced in the United 

3 States from distributed solar photovoltaic systems; 

4 (2) as the market for solar technology continues 

5 to grow, the industry will achieve economies of scale 

6 that make the cost of solar-generated electricity 

7 broadly competitive with the cost of electricity from 

8 fossil fuels; 

9 (3) producing electricity from distributed solar 

10 photovoltaic systems helps to reduce greenhouse gas 

11 emissions and does not result in emissions of harm12 ful air pollutants such as mercury, sulfur dioxide, 

13 and nitrogen oxides; 

14 (4) increasing the quantity of electricity gen15 erated from domestic renewable energy sources en16 hances national energy security; 

17 (5) investments in solar energy and other re18 newable energy sources lead to the creation of green 

19 jobs that provide substantial economic benefits; 

20 (6) the United States solar industry employed 

21 more than 140,000 people spread across all 50 

22 States in 2013, which is a 53 percent increase over 

23 2010, according to the Solar Foundation; and 

24 (7) the solar industry is investing almost 

25 $15,000,000,000 in the United States economy anVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:59 Oct 02, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2901.IS S2901

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1 nually, according to GTM Research and the Solar 

2 Energy Industries Association. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘pho6 tovoltaic system’’ includes— 

7 (A) solar panels; 

8 (B) roof support structures; 

9 (C) inverters; 

10 (D) an energy storage system, if the en11 ergy storage system is integrated with the pho12 tovoltaic system; and 

13 (E) any other hardware necessary for the 

14 installation of a photovoltaic system. 

15 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of Energy. 

17 SEC. 4. REBATES FOR PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF 

18 PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

20 program under which the Secretary shall provide rebates 

21 to eligible individuals or entities for the purchase and in22 stallation of photovoltaic systems for residential and com23 mercial properties in order to install, over the 10-year pe24 riod beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, at 

25 least an additional 10,000,000 photovoltaic systems in the 


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1 United States (as compared to the number of photovoltaic 

2 systems installed in the United States as of the date of 

3 enactment of this Act) with a cumulative capacity of at 

4 least 60,000 megawatts. 

5 (b) ELIGIBILITY.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a rebate 

7 under this section— 

8 (A) the recipient of the rebate shall be a 

9 homeowner, business, nonprofit entity, or State 

10 or local government that purchased and in11 stalled a photovoltaic system for a property lo12 cated in the United States; and 

13 (B) the recipient of the rebate shall meet 

14 such other eligibility criteria as are determined 

15 to be appropriate by the Secretary. 

16 (2) OTHER ENTITIES.—After public review and 

17 comment, the Secretary may identify other individ18 uals or entities located in the United States that 

19 qualify for a rebate under this section. 

20 (c) AMOUNT.—Subject to subsection (d)(2), the 

21 amount of a rebate provided to an eligible individual or 

22 entity for the purchase and installation of a photovoltaic 

23 system for a property under this section shall be equal 

24 to the lesser of— 


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1 (1) 15 percent of the initial capital costs for 

2 purchasing and installing the photovoltaic system, 

3 including costs for hardware, permitting and other 

4 ‘‘soft costs’’, and installation; or 

5 (2) $10,000. 

6 (d) INTERMEDIATE REPORT.—As soon as practicable 

7 after the end of the 5-year period beginning on the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 

9 the appropriate committees of Congress, and publish on 

10 the website of the Department of Energy, a report that 

11 describes— 

12 (1) the number of photovoltaic systems for resi13 dential and commercial properties purchased and in14 stalled with rebates provided under this section; and 

15 (2) any steps the Secretary will take to ensure 

16 that the goal of the installation of an additional 

17 10,000,000 photovoltaic systems in the United 

18 States is achieved by 2024. 

19 (e) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAW.—The authority 

20 provided under this section shall be in addition to any 

21 other authority under which credits or other types of fi22 nancial assistance are provided for installation of a photo23 voltaic system for a property. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

3 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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