On Thursday evening, $21.5 billion worth of renewable incentives got left on the congressional cutting-room floor so that the U.S. Senate could move an energy bill closer to becoming law (see Senate Rejects Green Incentives to Pass Energy Bill).

But a few states announced incentive programs last week that might help make up for at least a small part of the failed national proposal.

On Friday, Massachusetts launched a $68 million program aimed at increasing the state's installed solar power from its current 4 megawatts to 250 megawatts by 2017.

The program, financed by electric-ratepayer funds for renewable energy, will give businesses and residences access to four years of rebates that will start at about $3 per watt.

Incentive details are still being worked out, but the state government said rebates for Massachusetts-manufactured solar panels would be higher than for out-of-state panels.

The state will start taking applications in late January.

And on Wednesday, Pennsylvania's Senate passed its own $650 million energy bill. The legislation looks to give cleantech a boost with up to $50 million worth of solar-panel rebates.

But not everybody is happy with the outcome. The state's governor, Edward Rendell, said the bill falls short of providing Pennsylvania greater energy independence from traditional energy sources.

Rendell has advocated boosting the adoption of clean technology in the state.

In October, he announced $10 million worth of grants to fuel home-grown biodiesel, supporting infrastructure and alternative fuel technologies (see IN BRIEF: Biofuels Get Funding).

The bill is likely to go through more changes as it moves on to the state's Democrat-led House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.