{"id":9326,"date":"2014-12-10T07:19:02","date_gmt":"2014-12-10T15:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ietransfer.wpengine.com\/?p=9326"},"modified":"2017-06-30T12:51:01","modified_gmt":"2017-06-30T19:51:01","slug":"investing-wind-stable-ptc-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/articles\/investing-wind-stable-ptc-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"AWEA: Investing in Wind Energy Requires Stable PTC Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Investing-in-Wind-Energy-Requires-Stable-PTC-Policy-wind-turbine-workers-from-awea.org_.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"448\" src=\"http:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Investing-in-Wind-Energy-Requires-Stable-PTC-Policy-wind-turbine-workers-from-awea.org_.jpg\" alt=\"Investing in Wind Energy Requires Stable PTC Policy - wind turbine workers from awea.org\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Investing-in-Wind-Energy-Requires-Stable-PTC-Policy-wind-turbine-workers-from-awea.org_.jpg 699w, https:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Investing-in-Wind-Energy-Requires-Stable-PTC-Policy-wind-turbine-workers-from-awea.org_-300x192.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Strong investing and rising growth in the wind energy industry has been delivering homegrown energy resources to fuel the American economy, and put more people back to work. With help from the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy projects are helping to keep electricity rates low and widescale development projects coming online.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.awea.org\/Advocacy\/content.aspx?ItemNumber=797\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data lately released<\/a> by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in conjunction with the PTC, wind energy now provides power to over 15.5 million homes in America, is promoting economic growth in all 50 states, and has brought the cost of wind energy down by 43% in the past four years.<\/p>\n<p>The AWEA is campaigning Congress to act quickly to extend the PTC. They note that renewing the PTC will foster economic security and energy diversity. However, the AWEA also maintains that &#8220;failure to do so will kill jobs and roll back progress that the nation has made to diversify its electricity portfolio.&#8221; <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Investing in America Though the Wind Energy PTC<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The AWEA lists achievements gained in the U.S. economy through the use of the production tax credit, including:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;margin-left:3em;\"><em> \u25cf Attracting an average $15 billion in private investing for the wind energy industry every year for the past five years.<br \/>\n\u25cf Investing in wind energy in over 70% of U.S. Congressional Districts, bringing local economic development to each of these regions.<br \/>\n\u25cf Investing in over 550 U.S. manufacturing facilities across 43 states to make equipment for the wind energy industry.<br \/>\n\u25cf Decreasing the price of wind power by 43% over the past four years, benefiting utilities and consumers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Wind power has been attracting a high level of investing due to private financial support in the PTC, as well as the fact that wind is a free source of energy. These two factors promote stable electricity prices for both utility companies and their  customers. Some common Energy companies can be found and contacted at <a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.diverse-energy.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: none; color: #000000;\">this site<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n<h3><strong>Wind is Securing and Diversifying the US Energy Supply<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In 2013, clean wind energy accounted for 4.1 percent of the United States electricity supply. The AWEA notes that in <a href=\"http:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/2014\/10\/24\/iowans-favorite-day-windsday\/\">Iowa<\/a> and South Dakota, wind now generates more than 25% of those states\u2019 electricity needs. They report that, &#8220;With the right policy support, the U.S. is capable of growing to generate 20% of our electricity from wind power on a national scale and provide 500,000 American jobs in wind energy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ensuring the security and diversity of the U.S. energy supply, wind energy is fueling the U.S. economy with jobs and investment. However, investing in wind energy requires stable PTC policy. Extended mostly in one- and two-year intervals since its inception in 1992, the PTC has actually been allowed to expire on several occasions. The AWEA warns that unpredictability makes it difficult for the wind energy industry to be fully cost-competitive. Congress must extend the PTC if clean, affordable, homegrown wind energy is to remain a part of America\u2019s energy mix.<\/p>\n<p>Over at our sister site, Cleantechnica.com, <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/author\/seawolf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tina Casey<\/a> shares deeper insight on the political efforts underway to renew the PTC. A woman I admire deeply as much for her intellect as for her writing style, Tina&#8217;s article <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2014\/12\/05\/as-coal-crashes-us-governors-push-wind-energy\/\" rel=\"canonical noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>As Coal Crashes, US Governors Push Wind Energy<\/em><\/a> is a must-read. For this reason, it is reposted here for convenience:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>As Coal Crashes, US Governors Push Wind Energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>December 5th, 2014 by <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/author\/seawolf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tina Casey<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Forget the annual war on Christmas, things are really cooking up over the war on wind energy. The fight over wind energy has become something of a new American holiday ritual around this time of year, and now the stakes are higher than ever.<\/p>\n<p>In the latest twist, a coalition of US Governors has waded into the fray with a letter to House leadership, citing a drop \u2014 yes, a drop \u2014 in electricity prices over the past five years, in states that have been producing more wind energy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2014\/12\/PTC-for-wind-energy-ripple-effect.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"335\" class=\"aligncenter\" \/> <em>(Image note and sourcec: The ripple effect of PTC for wind energy: manufacturing jobs. courtesy of AWEA)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What\u2019s All This About A Tax Break For Wind Energy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>For those of you new to the topic, the big wind energy blowup is all over a tax break called the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy.<\/p>\n<p>As a matter of sound public policy, namely, for economic development and national defense, Congress routinely exercises its ability to support domestic energy production through various subsidies, including tax breaks. For generations, that kind of nanny-state coddling was pretty much exclusively directed at fossil fuels and nuclear energy.<\/p>\n<p>In 1992, Congress passed the first <a href=\"http:\/\/energy.gov\/savings\/renewable-electricity-production-tax-credit-ptc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PTC for wind energy<\/a> as a temporary kickstart to help get the nascent industry on a level footing with other energy sectors. The credit was routinely extended, along with virtually every other energy subsidy, with support from red and blue lawmakers alike.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\nThe initial champion of the PTC for wind was (and still is) Iowa Republican <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/01\/02\/wind-production-tax-credit-saved-for-one-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Senator Chuck Grassley<\/a>. Here he is explaining the legislative intent in an interview with The Toledo Chronicle a couple of years ago:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2026 [A]s much energy as possible, both traditional and renewable, should be produced at home to create jobs and strengthen national security. Wind energy is a free resource, and it\u2019s abundant in many places around the country \u2026 [A] clean renewable source like wind is not dependent on far-away countries with leaders who are hostile to the United States even as they take our energy dollars.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Who could hate it? Nevertheless, as with all things Obama, support for what was in essence a good, solid Republican idea (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/02\/15\/health\/policy\/health-care-mandate-was-first-backed-by-conservatives.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Affordable Care Act, much?<\/a>) withered to the point of extinction among Republican leadership in Congress after the President took office in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>So now, every time the PTC for wind energy comes up for renewal, there is a huge knock \u2018em down, drag \u2018em out fight.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Republican Governors For Wind Power!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Despite some ham-handed attempts at monkey-wrenching the wind energy sector by our friends over at Koch Industries, there\u2019s no arguing with the economic track record of wind energy now that the technology has matured.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why you\u2019ll find a much more bipartisan effort at the state level, in the form of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.GovernorsWindEnergyCoalition.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Governor\u2019s Wind Energy Coalition.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The current membership is a healthy purple, including Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, California, Kentucky, New York, Washington, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Montana, and Rhode Island.<\/p>\n<p>Check out this interactive map from the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.awea.org\/Advocacy\/content.aspx?ItemNumber=797\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Wind Energy Association<\/a> and you\u2019ll get the a similar red+blue= purple picture in terms of job creation and economic activity.<\/p>\n<p>Not for nothing, but as a counterbalance to the <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/11\/06\/koch-brothers-lobby-against-ptc-for-wind-power\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Koch brothers<\/a> the Governors Wind Energy Coalition\u2019s smallish group of corporate affiliate members also includes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.midamericanenergy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MidAmerican Energy<\/a>. Yes, <a href=\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/05\/13\/iowa-wind-power-grows-with-new-1-9-billion-investment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">that MidAmerican Energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"http:\/\/www.GovernorsWindEnergyCoalition.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a letter to House and Senate leaders<\/a> dated December 2, the Coalition urged another extension for the PTC for wind energy, citing these highlights as \u201cdirectly attributable to the PTC\u201d (breaks added for readability):<\/p>\n<p>Today, 26 percent of South Dakota\u2019s power generation comes from wind. In Washington State, developers added 2,800 megawatts of wind energy between 2001-2012\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Oregon generates over 12 percent of its electricity from wind\u2026<\/p>\n<p>In Iowa, where 27 percent of the state\u2019s electricity generation comes from wind, MidAmerican Energy made the largest capital investment in the state\u2019s history \u2014 building a wind farm that will add over $2 billion to Iowa\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition also hints at the ripple effect of all this activity on other economic sectors, which could get a boost from lower energy costs. According to their figures, states that produce seven percent or more of their electricity from wind have seen the price of electricity drop over the past five years. Meanwhile, prices have gone up in other states.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Death Blow For Coal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No, we didn\u2019t forget about coal. Domestic consumption of coal has stalled out and is on the verge of dropping off the cliff. Although wind energy and other renewable sources have been blamed in some quarters, natural gas has actually been the biggest headache for coal producers.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re waiting for the other shoe to drop, as today\u2019s glut-fired cheap natural gas heads into the inevitable cycle of <a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/articles\/fracking-firms-get-tested-by-oils-price-drop-1412899027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">falling production and rising prices<\/a>. All else being equal, that would be good news for coal, but that\u2019s where the game-changing aspect of renewable energy comes in: you\u2019re not going to see that same kind of boom and bust cycle, since the source is free.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, coal has sunk into the doldrums. According to the latest <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ferc.gov\/legal\/staff-reports\/2014\/oct-infrastructure.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report<\/a>, no new coal powered generating plants have been put in service or expanded this year, through October. Yes, that would be zero.<\/p>\n<p>Natural gas weighed in at 45 units for an installed capacity of 5,373 megawatts during the same period.<\/p>\n<p>Renewables have also fared well so far in 2014. Solar and biomass have been leading the pack in terms of units, but FERC toted up 2,189 megawatts for wind energy, beating the other two by a wide margin and looking pretty good against natural gas.<\/p>\n<p>As for coal facing more competition from wind energy, you ain\u2019t seen nothing yet. The wind industry has been expanding exponentially without even beginning to tap into the country\u2019s vast <a href=\"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/2012\/09\/24\/atlantic-offshore-wind-energy-can-power-the-entire-east-coast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">offshore wind energy resources<\/a>, so hold onto your hats.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n\u00a0<br \/>\n<em>(Top image source <a href=\"http:\/\/www.awea.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Wind Energy Association<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Strong investing and rising growth in the wind energy industry has been delivering homegrown energy resources to fuel the American economy, and put more people back to work. With help from the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy projects are helping to keep electricity rates low and widescale development projects coming online. According to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":9327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,23,35,48],"tags":[4917,861,1312,5210,3423,3447,3546,4918,4605,4608,4610],"adace-sponsor":[],"spectra_custom_meta":{"_edit_last":["81"],"_edit_lock":["1418160461:81"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["investing"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["Investing in Wind Energy Needs Stable PTC Policy - 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With help from the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy projects are helping to keep electricity rates low and widescale development projects coming online.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:4;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:363:\"According to [data lately released](http:\/\/www.awea.org\/Advocacy\/content.aspx?ItemNumber=797) by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in conjunction with the PTC, wind energy now provides power to over 15.5 million homes in America, is promoting economic growth in all 50 states, and has brought the cost of wind energy down by 43% in the past four years.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:5;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:314:\"The AWEA is campaigning Congress to act quickly to extend the PTC. They note that renewing the PTC will foster economic security and energy diversity. However, the AWEA also maintains that \u201cfailure to do so will kill jobs and roll back progress that the nation has made to diversify its electricity portfolio.\u201d\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:6;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:47:\"Investing in America Though the Wind Energy PTC\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:7;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:111:\"The AWEA lists achievements gained in the U.S. economy through the use of the production tax credit, including:\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:8;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:538:\"_ \u25cf Attracting an average $15 billion in private investing for the wind energy industry every year for the past five years.\n\n\u25cf Investing in wind energy in over 70% of U.S. Congressional Districts, bringing local economic development to each of these regions.\n\n\u25cf Investing in over 550 U.S. manufacturing facilities across 43 states to make equipment for the wind energy industry.\n\n\u25cf Decreasing the price of wind power by 43% over the past four years, benefiting utilities and consumers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy._\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:9;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:362:\"Wind power has been attracting a high level of investing due to private financial support in the PTC, as well as the fact that wind is a free source of energy. These two factors promote stable electricity prices for both utility companies and their customers. Some common Energy companies can be found and contacted at [this site](http:\/\/www.diverse-energy.com).\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:10;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:54:\"Wind is Securing and Diversifying the US Energy Supply\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:11;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:490:\"In 2013, clean wind energy accounted for 4.1 percent of the United States electricity supply. The AWEA notes that in [Iowa](http:\/\/inspiredeconomist.com\/2014\/10\/24\/iowans-favorite-day-windsday\/) and South Dakota, wind now generates more than 25% of those states\u2019 electricity needs. They report that, \u201cWith the right policy support, the U.S. is capable of growing to generate 20% of our electricity from wind power on a national scale and provide 500,000 American jobs in wind energy.\u201d\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:12;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:567:\"Ensuring the security and diversity of the U.S. energy supply, wind energy is fueling the U.S. economy with jobs and investment. However, investing in wind energy requires stable PTC policy. Extended mostly in one- and two-year intervals since its inception in 1992, the PTC has actually been allowed to expire on several occasions. The AWEA warns that unpredictability makes it difficult for the wind energy industry to be fully cost-competitive. Congress must extend the PTC if clean, affordable, homegrown wind energy is to remain a part of America\u2019s energy mix.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:13;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:470:\"Over at our sister site, Cleantechnica.com, [Tina Casey](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/author\/seawolf\/) shares deeper insight on the political efforts underway to renew the PTC. A woman I admire deeply as much for her intellect as for her writing style, Tina\u2019s article [_As Coal Crashes, US Governors Push Wind Energy_](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2014\/12\/05\/as-coal-crashes-us-governors-push-wind-energy\/) is a must-read. For this reason, it is reposted here for convenience:\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:14;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:46:\"As Coal Crashes, US Governors Push Wind Energy\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:15;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:77:\"December 5th, 2014 by [Tina Casey](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/author\/seawolf\/) \";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:16;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:241:\"Forget the annual war on Christmas, things are really cooking up over the war on wind energy. The fight over wind energy has become something of a new American holiday ritual around this time of year, and now the stakes are higher than ever.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:17;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:242:\"In the latest twist, a coalition of US Governors has waded into the fray with a letter to House leadership, citing a drop \u2014 yes, a drop \u2014 in electricity prices over the past five years, in states that have been producing more wind energy.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:18;O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:4:\"role\";s:5:\"photo\";s:3:\"URL\";s:76:\"http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/files\/2014\/12\/PTC-for-wind-energy-ripple-effect.jpg\";s:6:\"layout\";s:16:\"full-width-image\";}i:19;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:106:\"_(Image note and sourcec: The ripple effect of PTC for wind energy: manufacturing jobs. courtesy of AWEA)_\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:20;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:52:\"What\u2019s All This About A Tax Break For Wind Energy?\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:21;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:141:\"For those of you new to the topic, the big wind energy blowup is all over a tax break called the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:22;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:342:\"As a matter of sound public policy, namely, for economic development and national defense, Congress routinely exercises its ability to support domestic energy production through various subsidies, including tax breaks. For generations, that kind of nanny-state coddling was pretty much exclusively directed at fossil fuels and nuclear energy.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:23;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:367:\"In 1992, Congress passed the first [PTC for wind energy](http:\/\/energy.gov\/savings\/renewable-electricity-production-tax-credit-ptc) as a temporary kickstart to help get the nascent industry on a level footing with other energy sectors. The credit was routinely extended, along with virtually every other energy subsidy, with support from red and blue lawmakers alike.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:24;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:298:\" \n\nThe initial champion of the PTC for wind was (and still is) Iowa Republican [Senator Chuck Grassley](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/01\/02\/wind-production-tax-credit-saved-for-one-year\/). Here he is explaining the legislative intent in an interview with The Toledo Chronicle a couple of years ago:\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:25;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:9:\"container\";s:6:\"layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:6;s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:6:\"bottom\";s:2:\"20\";s:3:\"top\";s:2:\"20\";}}s:5:\"style\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:15:\"backgroundColor\";s:7:\"#e1e1e1\";s:6:\"border\";O:8:\"stdClass\":4:{s:3:\"all\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:5:\"width\";s:1:\"3\";s:5:\"style\";s:5:\"solid\";s:5:\"color\";s:7:\"#4f4f4f\";}s:6:\"bottom\";b:0;s:5:\"right\";b:0;s:3:\"top\";b:0;}}s:10:\"components\";a:1:{i:0;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:5:\"quote\";s:4:\"text\";s:397:\"\u2026 [A]s much energy as possible, both traditional and renewable, should be produced at home to create jobs and strengthen national security. Wind energy is a free resource, and it\u2019s abundant in many places around the country \u2026 [A] clean renewable source like wind is not dependent on far-away countries with leaders who are hostile to the United States even as they take our energy dollars.\n\n\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:6:\"layout\";s:17:\"blockquote-layout\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:18:\"default-blockquote\";}}s:9:\"textStyle\";s:18:\"default-blockquote\";}i:26;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:381:\"Who could hate it? Nevertheless, as with all things Obama, support for what was in essence a good, solid Republican idea ([Affordable Care Act, much?](http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/02\/15\/health\/policy\/health-care-mandate-was-first-backed-by-conservatives.html?_r=0)) withered to the point of extinction among Republican leadership in Congress after the President took office in 2009.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:27;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:120:\"So now, every time the PTC for wind energy comes up for renewal, there is a huge knock \u2018em down, drag \u2018em out fight.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:28;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:36:\"Republican Governors For Wind Power!\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:29;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:219:\"Despite some ham-handed attempts at monkey-wrenching the wind energy sector by our friends over at Koch Industries, there\u2019s no arguing with the economic track record of wind energy now that the technology has matured.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:30;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:179:\"That\u2019s why you\u2019ll find a much more bipartisan effort at the state level, in the form of the [Governor\u2019s Wind Energy Coalition.](http:\/\/www.GovernorsWindEnergyCoalition.org\/)\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:31;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:304:\"The current membership is a healthy purple, including Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, California, Kentucky, New York, Washington, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Montana, and Rhode Island.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:32;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:236:\"Check out this interactive map from the [American Wind Energy Association](http:\/\/www.awea.org\/Advocacy\/content.aspx?ItemNumber=797) and you\u2019ll get the a similar red+blue= purple picture in terms of job creation and economic activity.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:33;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:429:\"Not for nothing, but as a counterbalance to the [Koch brothers](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/11\/06\/koch-brothers-lobby-against-ptc-for-wind-power\/) the Governors Wind Energy Coalition\u2019s smallish group of corporate affiliate members also includes [MidAmerican Energy](http:\/\/www.midamericanenergy.com\/). Yes, [that MidAmerican Energy](http:\/\/cleantechnica.com\/2013\/05\/13\/iowa-wind-power-grows-with-new-1-9-billion-investment\/).\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:34;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:270:\"In [a letter to House and Senate leaders](http:\/\/www.GovernorsWindEnergyCoalition.org\/) dated December 2, the Coalition urged another extension for the PTC for wind energy, citing these highlights as \u201cdirectly attributable to the PTC\u201d (breaks added for readability):\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:35;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:161:\"Today, 26 percent of South Dakota\u2019s power generation comes from wind. In Washington State, developers added 2,800 megawatts of wind energy between 2001-2012\u2026\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:36;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:64:\"Oregon generates over 12 percent of its electricity from wind\u2026\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:37;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:238:\"In Iowa, where 27 percent of the state\u2019s electricity generation comes from wind, MidAmerican Energy made the largest capital investment in the state\u2019s history \u2014 building a wind farm that will add over $2 billion to Iowa\u2019s economy.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:38;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:357:\"The Coalition also hints at the ripple effect of all this activity on other economic sectors, which could get a boost from lower energy costs. According to their figures, states that produce seven percent or more of their electricity from wind have seen the price of electricity drop over the past five years. Meanwhile, prices have gone up in other states.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:39;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:8:\"heading3\";s:4:\"text\";s:19:\"Death Blow For Coal\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:17:\"default-heading-3\";s:6:\"layout\";s:14:\"heading-layout\";}i:40;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:281:\"No, we didn\u2019t forget about coal. Domestic consumption of coal has stalled out and is on the verge of dropping off the cliff. Although wind energy and other renewable sources have been blamed in some quarters, natural gas has actually been the biggest headache for coal producers.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:41;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:469:\"We\u2019re waiting for the other shoe to drop, as today\u2019s glut-fired cheap natural gas heads into the inevitable cycle of [falling production and rising prices](http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/articles\/fracking-firms-get-tested-by-oils-price-drop-1412899027). All else being equal, that would be good news for coal, but that\u2019s where the game-changing aspect of renewable energy comes in: you\u2019re not going to see that same kind of boom and bust cycle, since the source is free.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:42;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:311:\"Meanwhile, coal has sunk into the doldrums. According to the latest [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report](http:\/\/www.ferc.gov\/legal\/staff-reports\/2014\/oct-infrastructure.pdf), no new coal powered generating plants have been put in service or expanded this year, through October. Yes, that would be zero.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:43;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:103:\"Natural gas weighed in at 45 units for an installed capacity of 5,373 megawatts during the same period.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:44;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:246:\"Renewables have also fared well so far in 2014. Solar and biomass have been leading the pack in terms of units, but FERC toted up 2,189 megawatts for wind energy, beating the other two by a wide margin and looking pretty good against natural gas.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:45;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:345:\"As for coal facing more competition from wind energy, you ain\u2019t seen nothing yet. The wind industry has been expanding exponentially without even beginning to tap into the country\u2019s vast [offshore wind energy resources](http:\/\/planetsave.com\/2012\/09\/24\/atlantic-offshore-wind-energy-can-power-the-entire-east-coast\/), so hold onto your hats.\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:11:\"body-layout\";}i:46;O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:4:\"role\";s:4:\"body\";s:4:\"text\";s:85:\" \n\n \n\n \n_(Top image source [American Wind Energy Association](http:\/\/www.awea.org\/))_\";s:6:\"format\";s:8:\"markdown\";s:9:\"textStyle\";s:12:\"default-body\";s:6:\"layout\";s:16:\"body-layout-last\";}}}}s:19:\"componentTextStyles\";O:8:\"stdClass\":5:{s:12:\"default-body\";O:8:\"stdClass\":9:{s:13:\"textAlignment\";s:4:\"left\";s:8:\"fontName\";s:18:\"AvenirNext-Regular\";s:8:\"fontSize\";i:18;s:8:\"tracking\";i:0;s:10:\"lineHeight\";i:24;s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#4f4f4f\";s:9:\"linkStyle\";O:8:\"stdClass\":1:{s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#428bca\";}s:22:\"paragraphSpacingBefore\";i:18;s:21:\"paragraphSpacingAfter\";i:18;}s:17:\"default-heading-3\";O:8:\"stdClass\":6:{s:8:\"fontName\";s:15:\"AvenirNext-Bold\";s:8:\"fontSize\";i:24;s:10:\"lineHeight\";i:52;s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#333333\";s:13:\"textAlignment\";s:4:\"left\";s:8:\"tracking\";i:0;}s:18:\"default-blockquote\";O:8:\"stdClass\":6:{s:8:\"fontName\";s:18:\"AvenirNext-Regular\";s:8:\"fontSize\";i:18;s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#4f4f4f\";s:10:\"lineHeight\";i:24;s:13:\"textAlignment\";s:4:\"left\";s:8:\"tracking\";i:0;}s:13:\"default-title\";O:8:\"stdClass\":6:{s:8:\"fontName\";s:15:\"AvenirNext-Bold\";s:8:\"fontSize\";i:48;s:10:\"lineHeight\";i:52;s:8:\"tracking\";i:0;s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#333333\";s:13:\"textAlignment\";s:4:\"left\";}s:14:\"default-byline\";O:8:\"stdClass\":6:{s:13:\"textAlignment\";s:4:\"left\";s:8:\"fontName\";s:17:\"AvenirNext-Medium\";s:8:\"fontSize\";i:13;s:10:\"lineHeight\";i:24;s:8:\"tracking\";i:0;s:9:\"textColor\";s:7:\"#7c7c7c\";}}s:16:\"componentLayouts\";O:8:\"stdClass\":9:{s:16:\"full-width-image\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:6:\"bottom\";i:25;s:3:\"top\";i:25;}s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:7;s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;}s:11:\"body-layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:6;s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:3:\"top\";i:12;s:6:\"bottom\";i:12;}}s:16:\"body-layout-last\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:6;s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:3:\"top\";i:12;s:6:\"bottom\";i:30;}}s:14:\"heading-layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:6;s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:6:\"bottom\";i:15;s:3:\"top\";i:15;}}s:17:\"blockquote-layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":1:{s:12:\"contentInset\";O:8:\"stdClass\":4:{s:6:\"bottom\";b:1;s:4:\"left\";b:1;s:5:\"right\";b:1;s:3:\"top\";b:1;}}s:17:\"headerPhotoLayout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:20:\"ignoreDocumentMargin\";b:1;s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:7;}s:26:\"headerBelowTextPhotoLayout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":4:{s:20:\"ignoreDocumentMargin\";b:1;s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:7;s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:3:\"top\";i:30;s:6:\"bottom\";i:0;}}s:12:\"title-layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":1:{s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:3:\"top\";i:30;s:6:\"bottom\";i:0;}}s:13:\"byline-layout\";O:8:\"stdClass\":3:{s:6:\"margin\";O:8:\"stdClass\":2:{s:3:\"top\";i:10;s:6:\"bottom\";i:10;}s:11:\"columnStart\";i:0;s:10:\"columnSpan\";i:7;}}s:8:\"metadata\";O:8:\"stdClass\":9:{s:7:\"excerpt\";s:358:\"Strong investing and rising growth in the wind energy industry has been delivering homegrown energy resources to fuel the American economy, and put more people back to work. With help from the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy projects are helping to keep electricity rates low and widescale development projects coming online. 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