WHAT WILL WIN WIND’S PTC EXTENSION

House Committee Hearing Sheds Light On Wind PTC Extension Tactics

Laura DiMugno, 26 April 2012 (North American Windpower)

“Several U.S. congressmen - Democrat and Republican - spoke out in favor of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC)…in a U.S. House Ways and Means Committee hearing focused on tax extenders…Although the hearing was intended to address many of the tax provisions that expired last year or are scheduled to expire this year, the spotlight was on the PTC, with a focus on wind power…

“Of the seven congressmen present at the hearing, only one opposed an extension to the PTC: Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., who has pushed repeatedly for a repeal of all energy tax credits, including those for wind energy. In fact, as Ranking Member Richard Neal, D-Mass., pointed out, Pompeo is just about the only member of the House in favor of that policy…Even Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who Neal called one of the “most conservative” congressmen in the House, is encouraging an extension of the wind energy PTC…”

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“Despite the overwhelming bipartisan support for the PTC, it still hasn’t managed to be renewed, even after several failed attempts to attach an extension to other legislation - such as the payroll tax bill and the transportation bill…[though] the PTC has had 93 bipartisan sponsors. So what’s it going to take to actually get it passed?

“Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., stressed that rather than politicizing renewable energy as a partisan issue, Congress should emphasize the economic and energy security benefits wind and solar power bring to the nation…[Because many Republicans in Congress] are in favor of an “all of the above” energy approach that includes renewable energy and a PTC for wind power and other renewables…the most logical way for the PTC to be renewed might be to include incentives for other types of energy, not just wind, the congressmen at the hearing hinted…”