Colorado and Pennsylvania Pass Solar Bills, Texas Close Behind

(MoneyWatch)  Solar rebates are off and running in Pennsylvania, thanks to $100 million approved by the state last week. To get the program started, the state's Commonwealth Financing Authority had to borrow $30 million, according to Philly.com. In turn, they'll be able to cover about a third of the costs for new buyers.

In not quite as strong a showing, Colorado has opened up $40 million to offer more financing options. And the state senate in Texas, the great Republican oil state, has passed a bill offering up $500 million to the solar industry, though the measure still requires approval from the House and governor.

Why the sudden rush by state lawmakers to get financing in place? No single factor is responsible. The obvious one, of course, is Federal-level action to push renewables. Now that the EPA has ruled CO2 a threat, and the the the legislative and executive branches of the Fed are considering cap-and-trade bills, the states have a strong reason to get clean energy incentives in place.

I suspect that there's also a popular movement within states to push lawmakers. The Philly.com article relates that a group of solar installers visited their state capital to press their "dire need" for funding, and there's similar pressure is doubtless growing in states besides Pennsylvania.

And some solar service companies, like Recurrent Energy, SunEdison and SunRun, have become large and organized enough to start hiring lobbyists. As matters stand, it may not require much of a push for them to convince most of the other lower 48 they they, too, need rebates.