Rising solar challenges expected in the Aloha State

(HONOLULU) Island News — If you’re currently using, or planning on using solar energy in Hawaii in the near future, you could face rising obstacles due to a new federal law.

Many feel new regulations are expected to increase Hawaii costs, making it more difficult for the state to achieve its clean energy goals.

Changes enacted this month under President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill, could impact many planned utility solar farms and thousands of other rooftop solar systems across the state, by reportedly eliminating a 30 percent federal tax credit, sooner than originally slated.

Marco Mangelsdor with ProVision Solar in Hilo told Island News Sunday, “The federal tax credit, that essentially compensates a homeowner, in the U.S. for putting a system on their roof, that federal tax credit of 30 percent, has been around since the George W. Bush years — We have until the end of this year, to get these systems installed, or that federal tax credit goes away, as of midnight, of Dec. 31st, of this year.”

According to reports, a homeowner who’s installing an affordable system sometime next year, would not be able to accrue 30 percent of the cost of the system, in the form of a tax credit.

Because of challenges including geographic location, Hawaii’s largely considered to have the highest electricity prices in the entire nation.

“There’s already been a surge over the past couple months, with uncertainty in the marketplace, as to whether the tax credit, was going to be eliminated, and sure enough with the signed bill into law, all of nine days ago, that turns out to be the case”, added Mangelsdorf.

Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com