It’s almost too early to call it for sure, but spring is starting. After the cold winter, sap is flowing back into tree branches, bringing life to their limbs in a subtle shade of green that’s only now starting to surface. It’s a steady, positive constant that will have its ups and downs over the next few months, much like the bumpy world of solar.

George Shultz, the former secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, was part of a group that called on California to increase its energy security by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and help speed the adoption of renewables like solar through a tax on gas.

The battle over solar incentives is heating up in Congress. House Republicans want to cut an important DOE program, the Loan Guarantee program for renewable energy, that has helped solar manufacturers and project developers get financing for projects.

Without the legislation, large-scale solar projects now in the works and expansion projects planned by solar could be at risk of not getting financing.

Meanwhile Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) may reintroduce legislation to put photovoltaics and water heaters on 10 million American roofs by 2020.

Last week was busy at the state-legislative level as well. Iowa legislators introduced three bills that would create a $10 million fund to incentivize homeowners and small business owners to install solar and wind on their properties. The state is already one of the nation’s largest wind generators, but this new legislation would help increase the state’s solar resource.

Riverside County, Calif., has realized that some of the incentives offered by California could negatively impact the county. The county’s board of supervisors is concerned that it could be forced to spend too much to support large-scale renewable energy projects, without reaping appropriate levels of revenue for the projects.

Riverside County still wants the developments, unlike activists in San Diego County who argue that it doesn’t need large-scale rural developments. They contend that most if not all of San Diego’s electric needs can be met with rooftop solar installations.

Maryland hasn’t been a huge player in the solar market, but recently enacted legislation may make it a larger solar player. For instance, the Maryland Energy Administration’s Project Sunburst Initiative issued a grant to the University of Maryland to support the installation of a 631-kilowatt solar array there.

It’s not the only school to add solar last week.

Two high schools in Pasadena, Texas announced that they had installed photovoltaic labs with three different types of arrays. Students at the schools will learn about how well each type of solar technology works.

There’s some doubt among Texan solar installers about incentive programs in the future. One solar installer, who recently completed installations for a few southern Texas municipalities, said that this year’s incentives already were drying up in his region.

In Colorado, the largest utility cut back on its solar incentives. Having already supported more than 27 megawatts of solar installations in 2010, the company said it expects to support roughly 59 megawatts of new solar in 2011. As such, the company cut its rewards program from $2.35 per installed watt to $2.01 per installed watt.

But on a positive note, a new white paper from Enfinity and GTM Research reported that the U.S. solar market will account for about 10 percent of the entire world market in 2011, up from its historical range of about 5 percent to 7 percent of the international market.

Image courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories.