Idaho has a chance to jump into the solar energy industry big, create jobs and reduce dependence on energy produced elsewhere.

But just like the rest of the nation we are playing catch-up in the alternative energy game, says Tom Rooney, president and CEO of SPG Solar, one of the nation’s largest solar companies.

Many of the ideas discussed at the federal level and state levels were put in place by the Germans, Chinese, Spanish and French a decade ago. So what should we do?

Rooney recommends that Idaho and other states put in place “feed in tariffs” to promote solar energy. The tariffs would be imposed on the state utilities to guarantee access to the grid for solar developers, provide long term contracts for the power they produce at prices based on the cost of solar generation.

Germany put such a policy in place in 2000 and today has more solar installations than any country in the world.

“That is because German citizens gets 75 cents per kilowatt hour for the solar power they sell back to the grid,” Rooney said. “In California, we get less than 10 cents. And that is more than most places.”

California-based SPG Solar is an engineering and construction company that designs and installs photovoltaic power systems for pharmaceutical companies, wineries, agricultural facilities, government agencies, educational facilities, and individual homeowners. With over 1,200 grid-connected PV systems in service throughout the Western United States, it is one of the largest and has a clear interest in seeing states enact the tariffs.

But Idaho could do more. It could offer feed tariffs that increase to incentive for solar developers and allow developers to sell as much power as they can provide at the higher cost back to the grid.

“If we remove those limits, that would create an explosion in software,” Rooney said.

“If we allowed the price to rise, and removed the limits on how much solar energy a farmer or business owner or school or police station could generate, we would see an explosion in demand for solar and other renewables,” Rooney said.

Micron Technology just teamed with Origin Energy of Australia to work in photovoltaic solar manufacturing. The Chinese-backed company, Hoku, is building a silicon plant in Pocatello that could create 500 jobs.

Inovus Solar is building solar street lights here and going great guns. Nampa has the old MPC fab plant that many companies have looked at for solar manufacture. Scott Brusaw, of Sagle’s Solar Roadways is finishing up his prototype of a solar road panel under a U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

Instead of tax incentives, the tariffs offer price incentives for Idaho to develop a solar infrastructure that could attract creative solar entrepreneurs from around the world. This comes from a man who knows the alternative energy industry.

Rooney holds an engineering degree from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He’s been a speaker and consultant in the clean-tech sector while also serving on a number of boards throughout Asia, Europe and North America. From 2003 to 2007 Rooney served as the president and CEO of Insituform Technologies, a pipeline supplier.

“Anyone who knows anything about Simplot or Micron knows that Idaho attracts innovative and determined people,” Rooney said.

“But I also know that Idaho is full of realistic people,” he said. “And as long as they are aware of the great challenge that the German and Chinese head start presents, I do not doubt they could meet that challenge.”