Anti-wind power groups full of hot air
The wind industry’s growth is an American success story, and should be celebrated.
Unfortunately, fossil fuel-funded special interest groups like Americans for Prosperity are working to mislead the public and elected officials regarding the wind industry. In a recent column in The Hill, Americans for Prosperity claimed the wind industry is relying on backroom deals and that the Production Tax Credit (PTC) has provided little in return on investment for taxpayers.
The wind PTC and solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) have fueled a new American energy industry, with which AFP’s fossil fuel beneficiaries do not want to compete. Instead, the fossil fuel industry funds front groups to push their political goals – groups like AFP, which we have documented extensively in our report “Attacks on Renewable Energy Policies.”
In reality, the wind Production Tax Credit has helped spark technological innovation, expand high-tech manufacturing in the United States, and create jobs. As a result of the tax break and good, old-fashioned American ingenuity, wind’s costs have fallen 66% in the last six years. Each day, 73,000 people work in all 50 states and in over 500 wind-related manufacturing facilities to expand the use of clean wind energy.
By continuing to support the PTC and ITC, our country can speed the transition from fossil fuels to clean technology while supporting private sector investment and economic opportunity.
Let’s recall that Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a front group that refuses to disclose its major contributors. AFP was founded and is funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, the owners of Koch Industries, a major fossil fuel conglomerate with a direct financial interest in stopping the growth of clean energy. In the 2012 presidential election, AFP was a significant component of the Koch’s $400 million political operation, receiving large amounts of money from Koch-linked dark money groups like Freedom Partners, American Encore, and DonorsTrust. This year, Politico reported that the Koch brothers’ political network plans to spend $889 million in the run-up to the 2016 election, including an estimated $125 million for just AFP in 2015. Yet, AFP is taking issue with the clean energy industry’s political deal-making?
AFP also recently spearheaded a letter calling for the elimination of the crude oil export ban and advocating against tax credits for wind and solar. An Energy & Policy Institute investigation revealed that 19 of the 21 organizations signing the letter have either received funding from fossil fuel interests like the Koch brothers or ExxonMobil or have ties to the Koch political network.
All forms of energy in the United States benefit from federal incentives. Conventional fuels have received taxpayer handouts for 100 years, with American taxpayers spending hundreds of billions and counting on subsidies for fossil fuels. Overall taxpayer handouts for dirty fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal dwarf the incentives provided for renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment.
Lawmakers should ignore fossil fuel special interests like AFP that have a financial interest in eliminating clean energy tax breaks. Instead, elected officials should support tax breaks and incentives that will help continue the expansion of clean energy industries and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Elsner is executive director of the Washington, D.C.,-based Energy & Policy Institute, which works to expose attacks on clean technology and counter misinformation by fossil fuel and utility interests.
Above is from: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/262957-anti-wind-power-groups-full-of-hot-air
Unfortunately, fossil fuel-funded special interest groups like Americans for Prosperity are working to mislead the public and elected officials regarding the wind industry. In a recent column in The Hill, Americans for Prosperity claimed the wind industry is relying on backroom deals and that the Production Tax Credit (PTC) has provided little in return on investment for taxpayers.
The wind PTC and solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) have fueled a new American energy industry, with which AFP’s fossil fuel beneficiaries do not want to compete. Instead, the fossil fuel industry funds front groups to push their political goals – groups like AFP, which we have documented extensively in our report “Attacks on Renewable Energy Policies.”
In reality, the wind Production Tax Credit has helped spark technological innovation, expand high-tech manufacturing in the United States, and create jobs. As a result of the tax break and good, old-fashioned American ingenuity, wind’s costs have fallen 66% in the last six years. Each day, 73,000 people work in all 50 states and in over 500 wind-related manufacturing facilities to expand the use of clean wind energy.
By continuing to support the PTC and ITC, our country can speed the transition from fossil fuels to clean technology while supporting private sector investment and economic opportunity.
Let’s recall that Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a front group that refuses to disclose its major contributors. AFP was founded and is funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, the owners of Koch Industries, a major fossil fuel conglomerate with a direct financial interest in stopping the growth of clean energy. In the 2012 presidential election, AFP was a significant component of the Koch’s $400 million political operation, receiving large amounts of money from Koch-linked dark money groups like Freedom Partners, American Encore, and DonorsTrust. This year, Politico reported that the Koch brothers’ political network plans to spend $889 million in the run-up to the 2016 election, including an estimated $125 million for just AFP in 2015. Yet, AFP is taking issue with the clean energy industry’s political deal-making?
AFP also recently spearheaded a letter calling for the elimination of the crude oil export ban and advocating against tax credits for wind and solar. An Energy & Policy Institute investigation revealed that 19 of the 21 organizations signing the letter have either received funding from fossil fuel interests like the Koch brothers or ExxonMobil or have ties to the Koch political network.
All forms of energy in the United States benefit from federal incentives. Conventional fuels have received taxpayer handouts for 100 years, with American taxpayers spending hundreds of billions and counting on subsidies for fossil fuels. Overall taxpayer handouts for dirty fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal dwarf the incentives provided for renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment.
Lawmakers should ignore fossil fuel special interests like AFP that have a financial interest in eliminating clean energy tax breaks. Instead, elected officials should support tax breaks and incentives that will help continue the expansion of clean energy industries and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Elsner is executive director of the Washington, D.C.,-based Energy & Policy Institute, which works to expose attacks on clean technology and counter misinformation by fossil fuel and utility interests.
Above is from: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/262957-anti-wind-power-groups-full-of-hot-air
No comments:
Post a Comment