The solar energy industry has a reason to smile this morning as the Congress passed the tax bill with amazing speed late last night. Today, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch said of the passage of the one-year extension of the Treasury Section 1603 program, “After a year’s worth of effort, we are now close to getting the 1603 Treasury Grant Program extended. I’d particularly like to thank Representatives Holt, Blumenauer and Thompson for providing leadership and vision in support of the renewable energy industry and the 1603 program.” Resch is calling for swift action from President Obama in signing the bill.

SEIA has been a vocal advocate of the amount of jobs that the program has successfully created in all 50 states for blue collar workers who have been hit hard by the worst recession in 80 years. Fortunately the growth of industries like solar are putting them back to work in better paying green jobs. A major component of this bill is the extension of unemployment benefits for those millions who remain out of work.

While the solar and wind industries have been watching the progress of the incentives closely in D.C. neither industry has been saying much and are waiting until President Obama signs the bill which is expected soon. Once this happens, the bloggers of DomesticFuel will bring you the stories.