To those who abhor subsidies for solar or wind...surprise: I agree! However, the current playing field is not level. Oil & gas, nuclear (especially nuclear - huge direct & indirect costs to our government), coal and other forms of energy get subsidies too (including biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal and even energy efficiency). So why would you want to pick winners & losers by removing subsidies for solar but retaining even larger subsidies for fossil fuels?
So until Congress gets their heads out of the Saudi Arabian sand and creates a real, thoughtful energy policy, it would be really unfair (and unwise) to remove "subsidies" for solar (Note: "subsidies" for solar are really just tax benefits and not any cash from the government).
All forms of energy receive incentives. Some are direct cash from the government (like cash to the Black Lung liabilities under the 1969 Coal Mine Safety Act [see here] and related costs for coal, and cash for nuclear waste disposal), but most are indirect (like the massive nuclear insurance guarantees and the highly lucrative oil & gas depletion credits [which allow the driller to write off more than the capital cost of the drilling operation; see here] and related tax benefits). I say, remove all forms of incentives for energy to level the playing field.
On that field, I know solar & wind will win - and win big - over any form of energy that requires mining or drilling to replenish the fuel. When the sun & wind are free, and the operating costs are very low due to no fuel costs and related supply chain (think trains for coal delivery), there is really no way that coal, gas or nuclear can ever compete with solar & wind on a level playing field.
I vehemently disagree with those who call for letting the ITC (Investment Tax Credit) expire. While I agree that solar can survive without the ITC, the aforementioned argument stands: why remove an incentive for one form of energy without removing the rest? Just because solar weaned itself off of the government dole sooner than anyone expected doesn't mean that it should be penalized while fossil fuels continue to enjoy subsidies of $18.5 Billion from the USA (see also total US subsidies & Forbes' suggests it's $13 Billion & IRS production-only subsidies) and $500 Billion per year worldwide.
I say, kill all energy incentives and bring it on! Let the market decide, but don't let coal, oil, gas and nuclear continue to get a free ride nursing off the teet of Uncle Sam. 100 years of government handouts is plenty of time for fossil fuels to be self-sufficient, don't you think?
For more information, Google fossil fuel subsidies or see this article here.
