Dems urge continuation of energy efficiency credits

Two House Democrats are urging Republicans to save certain expiring energy tax credits that have bipartisan support.

Reps. David Min (D-Calif.) and Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) — who chair the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) housing task force — wrote to the Ways and Means Committee in support of the 179D and 45L credits. Both are going away because of the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The incentives apply to construction and upgrades that help make homes and buildings more energy efficient — such as heating and cooling systems, lighting and insulation that meet certain efficiency standards.

Last year's Republican budget reconciliation package moved to scrap or phase out a number of energy tax incentives, including credits for wind and solar. Min and Olszewski highlighted two that would help address housing affordability.

"As our nation faces housing and energy affordability crises, now is precisely the wrong time to let pro-affordability incentives like these expire,” Min and Olszewski wrote in a Monday letter.

The pair noted that the House version of the reconciliation bill did not include a rollback of the 179D credit, which applies to commercial building owners and designers who undertake energy-efficient construction projects.

“This would in part represent a fix for the Senate language signed into law,” the lawmakers wrote.

SEEC is a caucus of House Democrats focused on energy, environment and climate issues. That have been crafting policies Democrats could pursue — and that President Donald Trump could sign — if they take one or both chambers of Congress next year.

Ways and Means Committee Republicans did not respond to request for comment. Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) wants to address tax issues in another budget reconciliation package this year that can bypass the Senate filibuster, but it's unclear whether energy ones could make the cut.