Feb. 17, Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado and Jerry Moran of Kansas submitted amendment 1709 to S.1813, the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” Act, or MAP-21, to extend for 1 year the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) on which big wind depends to attract investors (i.e., with the promise of taxpayer funds going into their accounts). It is being considered in the Committee on Environment and Public Works:
Since 2007, total federal energy subsidies increased from $17.9 billion to $37.2 billion. Seventy-seven percent of that increase is due to the Obama administration's stimulus. Renewable subsidies increased 186 percent, led by wind energy, which received a 10-fold increase to nearly $5 billion. None of this, by the way, has kept energy prices down. Electricity prices have increased by 23 percent in the last five years.
Here is a list of a few “green” “sustainable energy” failures supported by the Obama Administration’s deficit “stimulus” spending. Your tax dollars at work
(1.)Evergreen Energy-
Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after the company received $5.3 million in “stimulus” funds.
(2.)Amonix Inc.-A manufacturer of solar panels that received $5.9 million from the “stimulus”, will lay off about 200 employees only seven months after opening a factory
(3.)Beacon Power Corp-Sought bankruptcy protection last year after they received a
$43 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy.
(4.)Ener1 Electric-A car battery manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy last Thursday, three years after receiving a $118.5 million grant from the U.S. government.
(5.) Solyndra-A solar panel maker that received a $535 million loan guarantee, then famously filed for Chapter 11 protection weeks ago.
(6.) Abound Solar announced Tuesday it would lay off 280 workers at its production plant near Longmont.The company received a $400 million loan guarantee through the Obama stimulus.
How can our Representatives justify this madness? This corporate welfare must end
.
When you total up the costs to taxpayers for just these five companies, it comes to $707.7 million.
The Bennett Moran amendment 1709 must be defeated.
Renewables are expensive, unreliable and require massive financial incentives to keep them afloat. Renewal of the Production Tax credit (PTC)will only prolong the inevitable, the renewable energy industry is not living up to expectations, and it never will. Throwing money at a failing industry is only adding to the problem, we need to get out of the energy business and allow the free market economy to dictate our energy future.
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Your BEST chance of stopping wind energy in the US is to make one phone call, today.
Lobbyists for puff power are now trying to extract our tax dollars with the Transportation bill. Senator Bennett proposed a "non-germane" amendment (#1709) to the Transportation Bill, which would extend the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC). Without the PTC, the US wind energy business will likely collapse.
To the best of our knowledge, negotiations are on going to determine which amendments will be included with this bill, and this will be decided this week between Senators Reid and McConnell.
US citizens need to immediately call Senator McConnell and urge him to oppose Amendment #1709 to the Transportation Bill (and ANY other extension of the wind energy PTC). Encourage Senator McConnell to make decisions based on sound science (which includes fiscal responsibility).
PLEASE CALL TODAY: 202-224-2541 (or through the congressional switchboard number: 202-224-3121).
The good news is that this is likely to be the last bill this year that the lobbyists have any hope of slipping this in. Please pass this information on to those on your email lists!
Sources:
National Legal and Policy Center
Right wing News Written By : Michael Fell
John Droz Physicist
Industrial Wind Energy Opposition
1 comments:
Confusing how not extending the tax credit and allowing the wind industry to fail is going to INCREASE tax revenue as you presume.
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