WASHINGTON – Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) has introduced legislation to boost solar panel manufacturing in the United States.

H.R. 4085 will offer a significant tax credit to solar manufacturers, which will stimulate job creation here in the United States. Representatives Dave Camp (R-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) are original cosponsors of the bill.

“Solar energy creates more jobs per megawatt of energy than any other source of energy. Currently, only 5 percent of solar products are produced within the United States,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill would add incentives for companies to produce these products domestically and create good jobs. In these troubled economic times, we need to do all that we can to add jobs and move towards energy independence.”

“The bill we have introduced today will help grow the solar industry and help create much needed jobs for the American people,” said Congressman Camp. “This is exactly the jobs-creating program we need to focus on, and with such high unemployment rates around the country, this sort of manufacturing is just what states like Michigan need.”

“This bill would provide important incentives to American manufacturers,” said Congressman Tiberi. “I believe these incentives would help companies transition to the manufacturing of tomorrow, help bring good jobs to Ohio and across the entire country, and help make us a leader in the production of new technologies.”

“In Texas especially, we have no shortage of sun. Boosting green energy grows green jobs here at home and makes clean energy affordable for more Americans,” said Congressman Doggett.

Congressman Thompson successfully included provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that provide for temporary tax credits for solar manufacturers through the end of 2010.

This bill extends the provisions of ARRA so that manufactures have a dependable incentive to drive long-term job growth and investment.