Changes to Tax Subsidies for Solar Panels and Microproduction of Renewable Electricity

The plan requires radical expansion of renewable electricity production and establishes that we are in a climate emergency where the transition needs to happen immediately. Lowering the tax reduction for solar cells and abolishing it for microproduction pulls back a steering instrument for precisely that expansion, which is why the plan speaks for the counter-proposal's requirement for rejection. The plan furthermore wants the state to go in with investments in renewable energy rather than withdraw.

• radical expansion of renewabledecisive»En radikal utbyggnad av den förnybara elproduktionen är avgörande« (party programme ↗)“Radical expansion of renewable electricity production is critical”
• state investments in renewable»därför behöver staten gå in med satsningar på förnybar energi« (2022 manifesto ↗)“therefore the state needs to go in with investments in renewable energy”
• climate emergency»Vi befinner oss i ett klimatnödläge.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are in a climate emergency.”
• immediate transition»Omställningen behöver ske omgående och alla politiska beslut behöver ta hänsyn till den akuta kris som vi befinner oss i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The transition needs to happen immediately and all political decisions need to take into account the acute crisis we are in.”

The election manifesto wants to see more solar panels and wants electricity production to be built up of all kinds, and promises to make it easier for families to save energy in their homes. A reduced tax reduction pulls in the opposite direction and reduces households' incentive to install solar cells, which is why the plan argues for rejecting the change. The climate framework should according to the manifesto remain in place.

• more solar panelsdecisive»Vi behöver också värna vattenkraften och se till att solpanelerna blir fler, bland annat på offentliga och kommersiella byggnader.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We also need to protect hydropower and see to it that solar panels become more numerous, among other things on public and commercial buildings.”
• all power sources expand»Bygg ut elproduktionen av alla slag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand electricity production of all kinds.”
• support for household energy measures»Underlätta familjers energieffektivisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it easier for families to save energy in their homes.”
• climate framework remains»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall remain in place.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants to make a major investment in solar cells and solar heat and stimulate more people to produce their own heat and electricity, and it even wants to remove the energy tax for those who produce electricity for their own use. A reduced tax reduction for solar cells and abolished reduction for microproduction goes directly against this. Rejecting the change is therefore the position the plan holds.

• major investment in solar electricitydecisive»storsatsa på solceller och solvärme.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“make a major investment in solar cells and solar heat.”
• stimulate own electricity production»människor till att producera sin egen värme och el.« (party programme ↗)“people to produce their own heat and electricity.”
• tax relief for own production»helt ta bort energiskatten för företag som producerar el för eget bruk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“completely remove the energy tax for companies that produce electricity for their own use.”

The plan commits to making it simple and cheap to install solar panels and explicitly wants to broaden and scale up the green deduction, not shrink it. Lowering the tax reduction and abolishing it for microproduction goes directly against this and against the goal of making it easier to produce one's own electricity. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demand for rejection.

• broaden the green deductiondecisive»Det kan vi lösa genom att bredda och skala upp det gröna avdraget och göra det enklare att installera solpaneler på flerfamiljshus.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We can solve this by broadening and scaling up the green deduction and making it simpler to install solar panels on multi-family houses.”
• cheap to install solar panels»Det ska vara enkelt och billigt att installera solpaneler, bygga laddning till elbilar och minska energianvändningen hemma« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should be simple and cheap to install solar panels, build charging for electric cars, and reduce energy consumption at home”
• own electricity production»Det ska bli enklare att producera mer av sin egen el, med bland annat solpaneler och bättre elförsörjning inne i tätorter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should become easier to produce more of one's own electricity, including through solar panels and better electricity supply in urban areas.”
• doubled emission-free electricity»Vi vill fördubbla produktionen av utsläppsfri el, och rusta och bygga ut elnätet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double the production of emission-free electricity, and equip and expand the electricity grid.”

The plan's energy principle is that the state to the greatest possible extent shall be neutral between energy sources that meet environmental and safety requirements, and its climate line is genuine climate taxes instead of competition for the highest subsidies. A special tax reduction that favours solar cells and micro-production is precisely such targeted support for a single energy source. The plan certainly wants to see more solar power throughout the country, but according to the plan the way to achieve that is a functioning power system and general policy instruments, not maintained subsidies.

• neutrality between energy sourcesdecisive»största möjliga mån vara neutral mellan energislag som uppfyller miljö- och säkerhetskraven.« (party programme ↗)“to the greatest possible extent be neutral between energy sources that meet environmental and safety requirements.”
• climate taxes before subsidies»Därför är vi för riktiga klimatskatter i stället för att göra klimatpolitiken till en tävling i högst bidrag och flest symbolskatter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, we are for genuine climate taxes instead of making climate policy a competition for the highest subsidies and most symbolic taxes.”
• terminated subsidies compensated»Höjningar av miljöskatter och slopade subventioner ska kompenseras med skattesänkningar som« (party programme ↗)“Increases in environmental taxes and terminated subsidies shall be compensated with tax reductions”
• more solar power needed»Ska vi få ner elpriserna krävs att vi bygger inte bara kärnkraft utan också mer sol- och vindkraft i hela landet, investerar i kraftsystemet och satsar på energilagring.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To get electricity prices down we need to build not only nuclear power but also more solar and wind power throughout the country, invest in the power system and invest in energy storage.”

The party programme rejects direct subsidies and requires that taxation be designed according to established principles such as tax according to ability to pay and equal treatment. Retaining an enhanced tax reduction for solar cells and microproduction means continued preferential treatment of one energy source, which the plan does not support; the manifesto's emphasis lies instead on nuclear power. That the plan wants to support the development of solar power qualifies the position but mainly concerns research and investment.

• rejected subsidiesdecisive»Direkta företagssubventioner avvisas.« (party programme ↗)“Direct business subsidies are rejected.”
• equal treatment in taxation»Beskattning av inkomster, varor, tjänster, fastigheter, förmögenhet eller andra former av beskattning får inte urholka äganderätten och ska utformas enligt vedertagna skatterättsliga principer som skatt efter bärkraft och likabehandling.« (party programme ↗)“Taxation of incomes, goods, services, property, wealth or other forms of taxation shall not undermine ownership rights and shall be designed according to established tax principles such as tax according to ability to pay and equal treatment.”
• nuclear power prioritized»Satsa på kärnkraften med långsiktiga villkor att utvecklas. Förläng befintliga reaktorers drift och bygg ut med nya reaktorer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in nuclear power with long-term conditions for development. Extend the operation of existing reactors and expand with new reactors.”
• support for solar power»Därför behöver investeringar, forskning och utveckling i elkraft från vind, sol och vatten stödjas« (party programme ↗)“Therefore investments, research and development in electricity from wind, sun and water must be supported”

The plan explicitly commits to strengthening and expanding the green tax deduction for private individuals and to not raising overall taxes during the term of office. Lowering the tax reduction for solar panels and abolishing it for microgeneration goes in exactly the opposite direction, and the plan moreover wants all fossil-free energy sources to contribute to electricity production. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's requirement for rejection.

• strengthened green tax deductiondecisive»Göra det billigare för privatpersoner att minska sin elkonsumtion genom att förstärka och utvidga det gröna skatteavdraget« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it cheaper for private individuals to reduce their electricity consumption by strengthening and expanding the green tax deduction”
• tax increase cap»Införa ett skattehöjarstopp under den kommande mandatperioden som innebär att de samlade skatterna inte höjs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a tax increase cap during the coming term of office which means that overall taxes are not raised”
• all fossil-free sources contribute»Ska vi klara det behövs en elproduktion där alla fossilfria energikällor är med och bidrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To succeed we need electricity production where all fossil-free energy sources contribute.”
• no raised taxes»mer skatt är ingen lösning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“more tax is no solution”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan wants to invest in measures that reduce emissions the most per invested krona and explicitly criticizes that taxpayers without their own opportunities are forced to finance subsidies to those who can afford to invest. Retaining an increased tax reduction for solar panels when installations have already increased dramatically is such a subsidy. The plan instead prioritizes predictable fossil-free electricity production and lower taxes on electricity in general.

• most climate benefit per kronadecisive»Satsa på åtgärder som minskar utsläppen mest per satsad krona som t ex internationella klimatinvesteringar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in measures that reduce emissions the most per invested krona such as international climate investments”
• against subsidies to the well-off»De flesta har inte råd att köpa en ny bil, men tvingas samtidigt betala för skattesubventioner för dem som har råd att köpa dyra elbilar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Most people cannot afford to buy a new car, but are forced at the same time to pay for tax subsidies for those who can afford to buy expensive electric cars”
• generally lower electricity tax»Sänka skatten på elenergi permanent för att underlätta elektrifieringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the tax on electricity permanently to facilitate electrification”
• predictable power is prioritized»Sverige behöver satsa på planerbar och fossilfri elproduktion.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to invest in predictable and fossil-free electricity production.”