Scott Vitter

For now, it appears intangible drilling costs will remain an allowable deduction. But the future of other exemptions is uncertain. Renewables like wind and solar appear less advantaged under the new plan.

For consumers looking for cheaper, cleaner, and more local electricity generation, rooftop solar is a promising option. But even as installation costs continue to fall, the growth of distributed solar is threatened by other financial and technical barriers. Typical net metering rate structures can make it impossible for electricity providers to recover their costs in markets with a large penetration of rooftop solar. Meanwhile, solar panels can be prohibitively expensive to purchase.