Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar, Named Rochester’s #1 Fastest-Growing Business & A Rochester Top Workplace, Has Already Been Forced To Lay Off 20 Workers Due To GOP Clean Energy Attacks, And Worries About Future Of Business Under GOP Job-Killing Bill
House GOP Rushed Trump’s Tax Giveaway To Billionaires, Gutting Fed Clean Energy Tax Credits That Lower Energy Costs and Boost & Local Jobs – Now Even House Rs Are Regretting It, Asking Senate GOP To Reverse Cuts They Voted For; Senator With Impacted Rochester Businesses, Families Demands GOP Block Cuts
Schumer: ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is A ‘Big, Bad Blow’ To Rochester-Finger Lakes Jobs, Families & Businesses
Standing at a Rochester family home that will soon see lower monthly energy bills thanks to newly installed solar panels, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer warned how the GOP plan to kill clean energy tax credits could raise energy costs for families and devastate Rochester’s HVAC and energy installation companies like GreenSpark Solar, named Rochester’s #1 fastest-growing business and a top place to work in Rochester for the seventh year in a row.
Schumer explained these unpopular, job-killing cuts in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” have already created panic among House Republicans and companies, and even House Republicans who voted for this bill last month are now begging to save these tax credits. Schumer said GreenSpark Solar is just one of many local Rochester businesses that could be decimated by this bill and demanded the GOP block these tax hikes that could devastate Rochester families and small businesses.
“Right now, we are at Defcon 1 for America’s clean energy future, and it’s jobs here in Rochester and monthly energy bills for New York families and businesses that are on the line. The Clark family’s house here in the Rochester area tells the story of today. Last year, they hired Rochester’s fastest-growing business to install solar panels on their roof with help from our Inflation Reduction Act, lowering their monthly energy bill over 65%, from over $100 to $35,” said Senator Schumer. “Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ would deal a ‘big bad blow’ to families here in Rochester, raising their costs and killing good-paying jobs at companies like Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar, which employs hundreds of workers. It guts one of the most effective tax credits middle-class families use to lower their monthly energy bills in order to give bigger breaks to billionaires; it’s outrageous. That’s why I’m demanding Republicans to stop this plan to gut America’s clean energy future and block these cuts that will hurt Rochester’s families’ wallets and decimate jobs.”
Schumer was joined by workers from leading Rochester HVAC, solar, and geothermal energy installation companies, including ACES Energy, Halco Home Solutions, Wise Home Energy, Schuler-Haas Electric, and GreenSpark Solar, who said the elimination of these investments would be a massive blow to their work, employees, and customers. Rochester’s GreenSpark Solar employs 150 workers, and on any given day, also employs an additional 150-300 union subcontractors from Rochester companies like Schuler-Haas Electric to help build their installations.
Just two years ago, they were named Rochester’s #1 fastest-growing business and have been able to double their workforce in recent years thanks to customer demand unleashed by the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. GreenSpark Solar purchases equipment and supplies from local Rochester-area suppliers, boosting the local supply chain, and has just relocated to the heart of downtown Rochester, bringing life to an abandoned building and the surrounding area.
However, GreenSpark Solar recently had to lay off 20 workers in anticipation of the GOP’s job-killing “Big, Beautiful Bill’s” tax increases on clean energy projects, driving down demand for their business. Schumer said if this bill passes, it will pull the rug out from under GreenSpark Solar just as it is growing, rendering their investments in Rochester worthless and forcing them to lay off local workers.
“When I first joined the solar industry, I knew almost nothing – but the people at GreenSpark taught me everything: how solar works, how it strengthens communities, and how it builds careers,” said Rory Patrie, Field Service Administrator for GreenSpark Solar. “I believe in it so deeply I had solar installed on my own home. It’s helped me fight inflation, keep my bills low, and become more resilient. The proposed elimination of federal renewable energy investments threatens my livelihood, my coworkers, and the everyday families we serve. I’m glad to stand here with Senator Schumer to defend the credits that support this work – and I thank Senator Schumer for recognizing what’s at stake for workers like me.”
Kevin Schulte, CEO of GreenSpark Solar said, “I’ve been in the renewable energy business for 26 years, and every time the Federal Government attacked our industry, New York State stepped up, helping us build the fifth largest solar market in the country. Solar and battery storage are the fastest, most affordable forms of electricity on the grid today; we won’t meet our energy goals with offshore wind, nuclear, or even natural gas—it will also come from solar. I’m proud to stand with Senator Schumer to defend the policy that supports this critical work and provides quality jobs and affordable energy to many New Yorkers.”
The Clark family, who just hired GreenSpark Solar to install solar panels last year with help from the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit, has already seen their monthly electricity bill decrease by over 65%, from over $100 to $35. Now, they are considering installing additional panels and a battery backup system that can store electricity, making them better prepared for power outages during extreme weather. However, if Republicans repeal the tax credits, the cost of making their home more energy efficient will skyrocket. Thousands of families across New York State are waiting to see what the GOP does in Washington and are holding off on new clean energy installations, hurting companies like GreenSpark Solar and the thousands of workers in the clean energy industry.
The GOP bill would kill clean energy incentives already benefiting hundreds of New York businesses with ongoing projects and the families who are using them to help improve their homes’ energy efficiency and lower their energy bills. Schumer specifically highlighted how the bill:
- Eliminates the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit, which provides families in New York up to $3,200 to help weatherize their homes for better protection in the harsh winters and make improvements to their home’s energy efficiency, lowering their energy bills with qualifying items like doors, windows, better insulation and heat pumps, and
- Eliminates the Residential Clean Energy Credit, which gives New York families a 30% discount on home energy improvements, like solar panels, heat pumps, or energy storage, that help lower energy bills and keep the lights on during power outages.
Penfield homeowners also joined Schumer, including Al Hibner, who lowered his monthly heating costs by 44% with his geothermal heat pump installed by Rochester’s ACES Energy, and homeowner Katie Ryggs, who has saved $1650 a year on her utility bills thanks to solar panels installed by GreenSpark and geothermal installed by ACES. Her monthly bills went from $200 to $60, plus she’s saved thousands on gasoline costs because she was able to switch to an electric vehicle and charge at home, reducing her monthly energy costs by more than 70%.
In the past two decades, more than 5 million American households have put solar panels on their roofs – this skyrocketed after the Inflation Reduction Act expanded these tax credits three years ago. However, one analysis estimates residential solar installations could fall by half in the next year if this House GOP bill goes through.
“The Energy Tax Credit helped us install solar panels and slash our electric bill from over $100 to just $25 a month,” said Steve & Amy Clark, Penfield homeowners. “We were looking forward to adding additional solar panels and battery storage in the future – but if these credits are cut, that would put those plans out of reach. We appreciate Senator Schumer’s support for these essential tax credits that make clean energy possible for homeowners like us.”
Penfield homeowner Katie Rygg said, “These tax credits put geothermal, solar, and our first EV within reach for my family – helping us create a better future for our daughters – with the added benefits of having less pollution in the house and saving money on our monthly energy bills. In the summer, we use 1/6 of the electricity to cool our house and in winter, we use 1/4 of the energy to heat our home. We hope that Congress will fight to preserve these clean energy tax credits so that many more families will be able to access the savings, comfort, and health benefits that come with electric homes and vehicles.”
Schumer was joined by Rochester-Finger Lakes businesses across the clean energy sector who said this bill would hurt their businesses immediately.
Andrew (AJ) Heiligman, President, ACES Energy & Renewable Rochester said, “Geothermal heat pump Federal tax credits have empowered everyday Americans to invest in clean, domestic energy, lowering utility bills, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and generating well-paying local jobs. These incentives benefit more than just homeowners; they strengthen local economies and sustain the skilled workers driving our clean energy transition. Rolling them back now would stall momentum that’s delivering real results for people, the environment, and communities alike.”
Ryan Puckett, General Manager at Wise Home Energy said, “The Federal tax credits for beneficial electrification and weatherization are critical tools for reducing carbon emissions in our buildings. These incentives drive investment in cleaner, more resilient technologies, reducing costs and improving living conditions for New Yorkers. Removing them would not only hinder progress toward energy independence but also place unnecessary burdens on contractors and families striving for sustainable solutions. Wise Home Energy thanks Senator Schumer for supporting clean energy policy that benefits us all.”
Schumer was also joined by Rochester Building Trades workers who, with the help of IRA’s Clean Electricity Investment Tax credits, just built New York’s first grid-scale solar project, Morris Ridge Solar, in Livingston County that created 550 jobs, provided a $70 million boost to the local economy, and is powering 47,000 households. These workers, who are now constructing the 2nd largest solar project in New York – the Excelsior Energy solar farm in Genesee County that is creating 290 construction jobs, $117.5 million in economic impact, and will power 74,000 homes – fear these thousands of jobs will now be lost.
Grant Malone, President of the Rochester Building & Construction Trades Council said, “Good-paying family sustaining local construction jobs will be obliterated by the job-killing “Big, Beautiful Bill’s” repeal of clean energy incentives. Our hundreds of local skilled trades members who are on the job today building solar farms in Rochester to power hundreds of thousands of homes are proof that these federal investments are a win-win. We are proud to stand with Senator Schumer to oppose any attempts to eliminate these investments and kill the thousands of construction jobs they are set to unleash.”
Schumer said clean energy tax incentives have spurred a clean energy boom in New York State, and rolling them back would have devastating impacts. The Clean Economy Tracker estimates the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives have spurred over $5 billion worth of investments in clean manufacturing in New York, creating over 7,200 jobs. Data from NERA Economic Consulting shows that repealing clean energy tax credits could cause New York to lose up to 20,300 jobs as clean energy projects are cancelled or scaled back, with a whopping nearly $3.5 billion hit to the state’s GDP, and New Yorkers paying up to $650 in higher energy costs each year by 2032 if these devastating cuts become law.
Already, Republicans have shown doubts about the provisions in this bill. Earlier this month, thirteen House Republicans sent a letter to Senate Republican leaders urging them to scale back clean energy cuts in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – the very bill their votes helped pass in the House. Last week, House Republicans voted for a second time to pass this job-killing bill after deleting various provisions.
“The fight is far from over. House Republicans’ latest flipflopping shows our pressure is working, and we have a real opportunity to get them to go back to the drawing board on this bill, and stop their attacks to totally eliminate these clean energy tax credits. And we are doing that by showing the real-world impacts, the jobs lost and lives devastated by their brutal cuts,” added Schumer.
Schumer said if this House Republican plan goes through, many of the clean energy projects spurred by the IRA could be forced to scale back or even stop, the workers building the future of American energy would be laid off, and projects that otherwise would have plugged into the grid will never come to fruition. That would impact both major NY employers and manufacturers in the clean energy, manufacturing, electric vehicle, battery, and research sectors, and also our small businesses and major economic projects slated to come to New York. Schumer said the House Republican bill would repeal the very parts of the Inflation Reduction Act that have helped companies grow in New York and spurred millions of investments, many of which are in Republican districts such as:
- Eliminates the Clean Electricity Investment & Production Credits that support more cheap, clean electricity. With natural gas turbines on a five-year delay, the IRA’s clean electricity tax credits have ensured a robust buildout of wind and solar power while spurring demand for American-made energy products and helping keep electricity prices from increasing.
- Sabotages the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit that has generated a more than five-fold increase in investment in manufacturing in the solar and EV supply chains, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and shifting these industries out of China to the U.S.
- Eliminates the IRA’s Electric Vehicle Tax Credits that make it cheaper to buy new and used electric and plug-in hybrid cars, and has led to a massive onshoring of EV and battery supply chain manufacturing, undercutting China and bolstering American companies.
- Eliminates the New Energy-Efficient Home Credit that makes it cheaper to build new, highly efficient and affordable homes, expanding the housing supply while reducing energy costs.
- Eliminates the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit that supports American-made clean hydrogen, led by New York companies like Plug Power and Air Products, to be used for clean manufacturing and agriculture.
Graham Hughes, Director of Policy & Advocacy of the Climate Solutions Accelerator said, “Investments in clean energy made through the Inflation Reduction Act have allowed people in the Finger Lakes Regions to upgrade our homes, lowered the cost of our energy, and created good paying jobs in a growing sector of the economy. Cutting these tax credits will roll back this progress and make our region more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We need congress to protect these investments and ensure the green economy continues to grow in New York.”
Monroe County Legislator Susan Hughes-Smith & Climate Solutions Accelerator Co-founder said, “The federal clean energy tax credits are good for our economy, health, and environment. The Solar Energy Industry Association calculates that the elimination of just the solar tax incentives would result in 330,000 jobs lost across the country, close or cancel 331 factories and squander nearly $300 billion in local investments. These credits should be preserved.”
Repealing the clean energy tax incentives would also be a disaster for America that Schumer said would cede energy manufacturing leadership to China, which already produces a significant amount of the world’s clean technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. If companies can no longer support clean energy manufacturing in the United States, they will bring these projects to America’s competitors, and jobs that would’ve otherwise been created in America will be created in countries like China. This will destabilize American supply chains and make American families and businesses reliant on China and other foreign countries for cheap energy.