A Montana Man’s Trip to Try to Save His Solar Business

Since a Wyoming farm boy who expected a longer career as a lighting technician for film and television never anticipated that he would end up owning a solar business with his wife in Montana, it is perhaps fitting that he took an expected trip to Washington, D.C. to fight for the future of the industry that he now treasures.

“It's just a really neat technology,” Ralph Walters told American Farmland Owner from his office in Missoula, Montana, where he and his wife, Jaime, own SBS Solar. “You take this piece of glass that's encased in aluminum frame. And you aim it at the sun, and it gives you electricity. Simple as that. Right?”

Ralph Walters bio

• Pine Bluffs, Wyoming native – former family farmer (in southwest Colorado)

• Film and television industry -- former set lighting technician

• SBS Solar -- Owner/Managing Director 

• Solar Energy International North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (SEI-NABCEP)

Walters traced his initial interest in solar back to a close friend in Colorado who asked for his help in outfitting an off-grid cabin with solar power. At the time, Walters worked as a set lighting technician for film and television.

“He cornered me, said, ‘Hey, you know about electricity. Help me figure this out.’” Walters’ excitement grew from there, leading him to enroll in every class available at Solar Energy International in Carbondale, Colorado. It was clear: he had found his new calling.

Walters and his wife moved to Missoula, Montana, in 2014. By 2020, they had purchased the solar company Walters’ boss owned, setting the stage for steady growth.

"When I started, we were doing 50 to 60 projects a year," Walters explained. "But after the Inflation Reduction Act passed, everything changed. We went from 60 projects a year to 135 last year.”

The Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on Solar

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, played a pivotal role in Walters' company’s rapid expansion. The act not only extended tax credits for solar energy but also raised them to 30% for the next decade. Walters credits the legislation for unlocking new opportunities, particularly in Montana, where solar demand surged after the pandemic as people moved to the state seeking energy independence.

“It was a game changer,” Walters said. “With the IRA, people who were on the fence about solar finally decided to pull the trigger.”

However, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives stripped much of the solar incentives as part of the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The sudden change could leave solar industry operators like Walters with immediate financial distress.

Solar Industry Operators Press Members of Congress to Save Tax Credits

Walters traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak directly with members of Congress, urging them to avoid rolling back crucial tax incentives that could cripple the solar industry. He joined other solar industry representatives from Montana to meet with the state’s congressional delegation to advocate for a fair transition on the solar tax credits.

“We don’t need subsidies forever,” Walters stated. “But to go from a ten-year plan to a possible six-month cliff is unmanageable for small businesses like mine. We need a glide path.”

In his discussions, Walters emphasized the practical and environmental benefits of solar energy, stressing its role in energy independence. “Solar gives you resilience. If the grid goes down, you’re the only one with lights on in the neighborhood,” Walters said, describing the sense of empowerment solar provides. But more than just technological innovation, solar represents a critical opportunity to enhance energy security.

“We went there to say, 'Look, the U.S. needs energy independence. If we can grow that in our backyard, using the sun, that’s energy independence.’”

Frustration with the Status Quo

Despite the positive feedback from Congress, Walters couldn’t help but voice his frustrations with the broader energy policy landscape. “It’s frustrating,” Walters said, referring to the continued tax incentives for oil and gas companies. “Oil and gas have been getting subsidies for over one hundred years. Solar’s been around for decades and yet still gets treated like the underdog.”

Walters pointed out the contradiction in government energy policy, especially in the face of skyrocketing national debt. “If we’re going to be spending money on energy, we should prioritize renewable solutions that save the planet and reduce dependence on finite resources.”

Looking Forward: A Call for Unity in Energy Policy

As Walters concluded his D.C. trip, he remained hopeful of a compromise that would provide a stable path forward for the solar industry. The possibility of a “glide path”—a gradual reduction in tax credits rather than an abrupt cut-off—was on the table, and Walters believes that it could help maintain growth and job creation in the solar sector.

“I think there’s room for compromise,” Walters reflected. “It’s about an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy. We need to use coal, natural gas, wind, solar, everything. But solar is one of the cheapest, most practical ways to generate power. And we need to give the industry a fair chance.”

His trip to Washington, though full of challenges, was ultimately empowering. “I may not have gotten everything I wanted, but they were listening. And that means something,” Walters said.