Viewpoint: Solar companies ask Congress to protect businesses
Ralph Walters
This week, I’ll be in Washington, D.C. with a group representing Montana Renewable Energy businesses. We’ll be asking Rep. Zinke and Sens. Daines and Sheehy to fight for Montana rooftop solar.
My wife and I own a solar installation company in Missoula. We employ 15 people, all of whom make over $25/hr. We offer health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Before my wife and I purchased this company, I was an employee.
The “big bill” being considered in Congress could end all of that. Of the many inclusions in this bill, it proposes an abrupt and premature end to the 25D residential investment tax credit which incentivizes Montana homeowners to invest in their energy future by installing solar. Not only would this impact my business, employees, and our families, it would have a ripple effect throughout the local economy.
The solar industry is an ecosystem. Not only do we pay our employees, we subcontract work to electrical contractors and supply houses, roofers, excavation companies, and equipment rental businesses. This tax credit has given solar businesses like mine – and our subcontractors – a stable environment to grow. The 25D tax credit started in 2022 and is currently set to last until 2032. The growing demand for solar, and the stability 25D provided allowed us to triple our team in 5 years. We have invested in equipment and warehouse space.
Ending the tax credit will slow business instantly, putting not only the jobs of my direct employees into jeopardy, but also the bottom lines of our partners.
Our Montana Congressmen and Governor say they support an “all of the above” energy portfolio. So, I find it confusing that they would consider hobbling the solar and wind energy industries, which are the fastest-growing and most cost-effective components of a truly “all-of-the-above” strategy. Dismissing solar as a “new” and “unviable” industry ignores the fact that SBS Solar has been installing both residential and commercial systems since 2007. Before that, my previous boss and mentor Dan Brandborg had been selling and installing solar in Montana since 1989.
Montanans want solar. It’s quickly deployed, gives users energy options, is disinflationary, and enables the Administration’s economic objectives. The Montana Legislature recently passed the “Montana Solar Shares Act” (SB 188) with bipartisan support to establish a framework for community solar projects.
Solar is not just for “climate change advocates.” Republican legislators in red states like Ohio and Pennsylvania are sponsoring pro-solar legislation because solar energy makes sense, is an important component of our domestic energy resources, and is vital to the security of our domestic energy future. The US Energy Information Association reported that renewables accounted for 25% of all energy production in the first quarter of 2025. According to a new PEW report, 78% of Americans support more solar. Government representatives would do well to listen to their constituents.
All energy development in the U.S. receives tax incentives. The solar tax credits directly benefit ordinary citizens who can support American-made solar technology and installers. And the truth is that between inflation, rising energy bills, and housing costs, Montanans are strapped.
Luckily, the financial impact of rooftop residential solar is as local and domestic as it gets, keeping money in the pockets of the families sitting under their solar arrays – not sending it to distant investors, energy barons, and monopoly utilities. The best part is, you don’t have to pay for, or transport the fuel (sunshine) before you use it.
Our Montana delegation has the responsibility to advocate for the voters who overwhelmingly support solar energy and businesses like mine.
Ralph Walters is a co-owner of SBS Solar in Missoula.