Oklahoma Gov. Fallin urges conferees: Extend the PTC
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) yesterday wrote members of the Congressional conference committee on the payroll tax bill, saying “As you draft legislation to address the expiring payroll tax cut and other provisions, I urge you to include an extension of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC), currently set to expire at the end of this year.”
Gov. Fallin joins fellow Republican governors Terry Branstad of Iowa and Sam Brownback of Kansas, who have also written to the conferees in support of a PTC extension (see “Republican governors push for PTC extension; Senators express support,” February 2, 2012).
Added Gov. Fallin, “The wind energy sector is an American success story that is helping us build our manufacturing base, create jobs, lower energy costs, and strengthen our energy security. Our states have experienced the economic benefits of wind energy first hand, and I cannot overstate the importance of extending this tax provision early in the year so the wind industry has the certainty it needs to grow … The American wind industry now includes over 400 manufacturing facilities in forty-three states. At least sixty percent of the value of a wind turbine is now produced domestically, compared to just twenty-five percent prior to 2005. Unfortunately, the leading wind project developers and manufacturers are canceling their plans for 2013 and wind development will grind to halt due to the uncertainty of a PTC extension …
“The PTC was originally developed and enacted into law with strong bipartisan support that continues today and is a tax policy that has been successful. The PTC should be evaluated in the future to determine its long-term viability; however, the credit needs to be extended immediately to create certainty today.”
The full text of the letter is here.
Related articles:
Michigan worker's plea: Extend PTC, help wind power create U.S. jobs, February 13, 2012
Bipartisan letter from entire Iowa Congressional delegation urges: Extend the PTC, February 10, 2012
Senate Energy Chairman Bingaman: Act now to save clean-energy jobs, February 9, 2012
Bipartisan letter from Colorado Congressional delegation urges: Extend the PTC, February 8, 2012
Republican governors push for PTC extension; Senators express support, February 2, 2012
U.S. Chamber of Commerce joins broad range of groups endorsing PTC extension, February 1, 2012
WindTV: Wind power drives commerce in small-town America, January 24, 2012
Denver Post endorses PTC extension 'sooner rather than later', January 18, 2012
WSJ op-ed: 'Want Growth? Try Stable Tax Policy', January 5, 2012
Red State Energy, Red State Jobs, November 29, 2011
Governors' letter urges prompt extension of wind tax incentive, November 16, 2011