Texas has some of the greatest wind resources in the world, but our lack of long-term national policies harms our ability to develop them fully. Without the Wind Production Tax Credit, jobs, manufacturing, and energy development will suffer.
While a large bi-partisan majority of the Senate Finance Committee voted 19-5 to give preliminary approval to extend the tax credit, Texas Senator John Cornyn voted against this critically important wind energy incentive.
Texas is home to upwards of 9,000 direct and indirect clean energy wind jobs, many of which will be lost if the Wind Production Tax Credit is allowed to expire in 2012.
The time to act is now! Ask Senator Cornyn to change his position and support the Wind Production Tax Credit.
Dear Senator Cornyn,
I know you cast an initial vote against a critically important wind energy incentive. I hope you'll reconsider.
Texas has some of the greatest wind resources in the world, but our lack of long-term national policies harms our ability to develop them fully. Without the Production Tax Credit, jobs, manufacturing, and energy development all will suffer. The time to act is now.
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Due to the lead time required for orders to manufacture and assemble infrastructure elements, the industry will suffer major setbacks on production timelines if the wind Production Tax Credit is not extended well in advance of the end of the year. Texas and the nation cannot afford to wait any longer. I urge you to support extending the wind Production Tax Credit to advance America's independent energy future.
In addition, Wind provided 35% of all new U.S. power capacity in the last four years. In fact, the boom-and-bust cycle is further evidence that the expirations of PTC affect project development. When the PTC has expired in the past, installations dropped between 73% and 93%--with corresponding job losses.
A multi-year extension of at least 4 years would encourage investment of new capital, help invigorate the export of wind energy technologies and related products and support the goal of increasing domestic energy production. Without a more permanent policy in place, investors, developers and manufacturers will move projects and jobs elsewhere.
