WHY CONGRESS SHOULD SAVE WIND

Congress could revive tax credit for wind energy

Sammy Roth, November 27, 2014 (The Desert Sun)

“…The production tax credit for wind and other renewables expired at the end of 2013, bringing wind development in the United States to a screeching halt…[Wind advocates say] the production tax credit has made wind power in the United States more reliable because [by paying 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity produced over the first 10 years of the project life] it incentivizes developers to produce — unlike wind subsidies in some countries, which reward investment or equipment installation… China had 50 percent more wind-generating capacity than the United States last year. But the United States produced about 20 percent more wind energy than China did…Bringing back the production tax credit is a rare renewable energy priority with significant Republican support…But [Congressional efforts in the next two weeks’ lame duck session] to bring back the production tax credit…have faced stiff opposition from groups backed by the fossil fuel industry… [though] coal, oil and natural gas received about $594 billion in incentives between 1950 and 2010 [while solar], wind and geothermal received about $81 billion during those years…Wind advocates are pushing for the production tax credit to be extended through at least the end of 2015, including a retroactive extension allowing projects that started construction this year to qualify…” click here for more

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