Low-Income Solar Act
Latest action · Jul 17, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 13, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Low-Income Solar Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a loan and grant program for photovoltaic solar (a method of converting energy from the sun into electricity) installations in low-income and underserved areas for FY2016-FY2030.
Loans must be provided for: (1) community solar facilities that provide solar energy to low-income households, or (2) solar installations at federally subsidized affordable housing at multi-family complexes.
The community solar facilities must: (1) be owned by an organization of electricity consumers that own a share of the facility's solar electricity generation; (2) have a certain a nameplate rating (or power generation capacity), (3) be located in or near a community that uses the electricity generated by the facility, and (4) reserve at least 25% of the electricity generated for low-income households.
Grants must be given for: (1) solar electricity generating facilities installed on properties of eligible, low-income home owners; or (2) new solar projects for low-income households and individuals, including the costs of equipment and job training associated with solar projects.
Cosponsors 17
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 13, 2015 to Oct 28, 2015; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Original | Jul 13, 2015 |
| D-MN | Keith Ellison | Original | Jul 13, 2015 |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Jul 28, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Michael M. Honda | Jul 28, 2015 | |
| D-MD | John P. Sarbanes | Jul 29, 2015 | |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Aug 4, 2015 | |
| D-VA | Donald S. Beyer, Jr. | Aug 4, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Kathleen M. Rice | Aug 4, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Alan S. Lowenthal | Sep 9, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Brian Higgins | Sep 9, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Judy Chu | Sep 9, 2015 | |
| D-MN | Richard M. Nolan | Sep 9, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Jared Huffman | Sep 11, 2015 | |
| D-PA | Matt Cartwright | Sep 11, 2015 | |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Sep 17, 2015 | |
| D-HI | Mark Takai | Oct 9, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Louise McIntosh Slaughter | Oct 28, 2015 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jul 13, 2015 |
| Energy Subcommittee | Referred Jul 17, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 17, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
- Jul 13, 2015Introduced in House
- Jul 13, 2015Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 108, July 13, 2015, page H5117.
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1713 | Low-Income Solar Act | Related bill | Jul 7, 2015 |
| S 2089 | American Energy Innovation Act | Related bill | Sep 29, 2015 |
| HR 2447 | Low-Income Solar Act | Reintroduced Bill | May 19, 2017 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To require the Secretary of Energy to provide loans and grants for solar installations in low-income and underserved areas.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Low-Income Solar Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Energy.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 13, 2015Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
