Georgia solar supporters foresee industry growth with passage of federal budget bill

FILE - In this May 21, 2008, file photo, Marco DelTreste, left, and Arsenio Patricio, of Mercury Solar Systems, install panels on the roof of a home in Newburgh, N.Y. Energy-efficient upgrades can not only shrink your utility bill; they can increase the value of your home. The payoff time and the savings from installing solar panels will vary depending on where you live. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)

Supporters of solar power in Georgia are praising the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill includes tax incentives for solar manufacturing, which is a growing industry here.

A measure that Georgia’s U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff initially introduced as a separate bill that was later included in the big federal budget bill incentivizes companies to manufacture more components for solar panels in the U.S.

“This is going to boost our domestic manufacturing of solar products and solar technology,” Ossoff said in Piedmont Park this week, where he was joined by officials from Georgia’s solar industry to celebrate the bill passing and the expected growth for the industry here.