The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has again joined hands with a large coalition of businesses and organizations to call on Congress to pass the tax extenders package known as the EXPIRE Act.
The legislation would extend over 50 lapsed U.S. tax credits, including the wind production tax credit (PTC), as well as wind developers' option to choose an investment tax credit in lieu of the PTC. However, Congress has taken no action on the EXPIRE Act since the U.S. Senate blocked it in May following partisan feuding.
AWEA and more than 450 businesses and organizations have signed and sent a letter to congressional leaders requesting that the legislators pass the EXPIRE Act by year's end. Â
"Businesses and investors need stable, predictable federal tax policy to create jobs, invest capital and deploy pollution-reducing energy technologies," says the letter. "Allowing the lapsed clean energy tax provisions to languish undermines investor confidence and jeopardizes continued economic and environmental benefits."
The full letter is available here.
Tom Kiernan, CEO of the AWEA, says, "AWEA is proud to join this diverse coalition of companies and organizations working to grow clean energy and create jobs in the U.S. Extending these common-sense, successful federal tax policies means American workers can make more of our own energy right here in America.’
This latest call comes after AWEA teamed up with over 300 clean energy groups in June to send a similar letter to Congress.
Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., both vowed to push for passage of the EXPIRE Act during the lame-duck session.
Now that the midterm elections are over, organizations from around the country are trying to make their voices heard regarding the EXPIRE Act, and not everyone supports a PTC extension. For example, earlier this month, over 60 conservative groups sent a letter to Republican leaders calling on the legislators to block any PTC extension, especially in the tax extenders bill.
