South Dakota newspaper joins others in endorsing PTC

The Watertown (S.D.) Public Opinion, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, Wednesday became the latest in a series of newspapers across the country to support an extension of the federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC).

In an editorial titled “Wind power needs help,” the Public Opinion opined, in part:

“Last month, a group of 10 U.S. senators, led by Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts, wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging quick renewal of the federal wind energy production tax credit. Citing the inability of wind developers to move forward without knowing what federal support will be available, the senators asked for an extension of the tax credit. Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., putting common sense ahead of politics, were among those signing the letter …

“There are wind power projects on the drawing board in our area — Summit Wind and Wahpeton Wind in the Summit-South Shore-Twin Brooks areas for example — that would help meet our energy needs for clean, renewable power sources for years to come. But they’re still on the drawing board … That needs to change and the turbines need to start going up to provide the clean, efficient, renewable energy we need.”

A House bill seeking to extend the PTC has 90 cosponsors, including 20 Republicans, and has received the endorsement of a broad coalition of more than 370 members, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Edison Electric Institute, the Western Governors’ Association, while a Senate bill to extend it was introduced March 15 by seven Senators, including three Republicans. A PTC extension also has the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Governors Association, and the bipartisan Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, which includes 23 Republican and Democratic Governors from across the U.S.

Further endorsements of the wind energy production tax credit.

Related articles:

Houston Chronicle editorial supports PTC extension, March 15, 2012
Two more Colorado newspapers [Pueblo Chieftain, Greeley Tribune] favor PTC extension, March 5, 2012
Daily Oklahoman editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension

Kansas City Star editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension
Denver Post editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension
New York Times editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension
Lake County (Ill.) News-Sun editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension
Garden City (Kans.) Telegram editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension
Topeka (Kans.) Capital-Journal editorial endorsing wind energy Production Tax Credit extension

 

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