Spending bill pumps new energy into wind, solar

With action in Congress and change in administration, the future is likely to have brightened considerably for the renewable-energy industry, including firms in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado.

Investment in wind and solar energy had stagnated because of uncertainty over whether tax credits would continue. But when the November election and subsequent U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia guaranteed a White House and Congress friendlier toward renewables, lobbyists for wind and solar industries breathed sighs of relief.

Congress in December agreed on legislation that would extend the federal investment tax credit for solar projects for two…