RYAN BUDGET SLAMS NEW ENERGY

Clean Energy Is a Target of Ryan Budget Plan
John Collins Rudolf, April 6, 2011 (NY Times)

"A long-term Republican budget plan…by Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin calls for drastic cuts in federal spending on energy research and development and for the outright elimination of subsidies and tax breaks for wind, solar power and other alternative energy technologies…

"Mr. Ryan’s plan has yet to be finalized or endorsed by the full House…[but] enjoys substantial support among Republicans…[Under it,] overall discretionary funding for energy programs would fall to about $1 billion per year. President Obama’s 2012 budget, meanwhile, would provide about $8 billion to support clean energy research and deployment."

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"Mr. Ryan’s proposal calls specifically for ‘eliminating welfare for energy companies.’ The proposal does not include details on which subsidies would be curtailed, but its references to ‘uncompetitive’ energy sources clearly point to wind and solar power…

"…Cuts proposed in a short-term spending bill provide further clues…The House-passed bill reduces research and development financing for electric car battery technology and charging infrastructure and eliminates loan guarantees meant to encourage clean energy manufacturing…Production and investment tax credits for wind and solar power, which will lapse in several years, are also probable targets…"

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"Other energy incentives may go unchallenged, however. Questioned on Fox News on Sunday by Chris Wallace on whether multibillion-dollar subsidies for oil and gas companies would also be eliminated, Mr. Ryan did not give a direct answer…[but said he did not favor] ‘raising taxes’…Mr. Ryan opposed efforts by President Obama and House Democrats in 2010 and 2011 to eliminate billions in annual tax breaks for oil companies, incentives that even some industry leaders said were unnecessary…

"Clean energy advocates criticized the Ryan proposal, calling it a short-sighted plan that would cede dominance in the fast-growing clean-tech market to countries like China and Germany…"