Saturday was an exciting day for us at GetSolar. The House passed two new energy bills that, among other things, will require most utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.

The measures also begins to extend and address production tax credits, which have been crucial to promoting growth in the renewables sector—and have been a particularly vital boon to wind-power manufacturers.

President Bush has promised to veto the package, citing that it disadvantages the oil and gas industry, and fails to adequately promote national security objectives. Moreover, things in Washington move extremely slowly.

Nevertheless, the recent activity is evidence that those in Washington are finally starting to view the creation of a federal renewable portfolio standard seriously.