[Editor note: This is the final excerpt of a January 15 letter by Mr. Schleede to the Senate Finance Committee concerning the Baucus tax-reform proposal (December 18, 2013). Part I reprinted the executive summary and conclusions; Part II the high cost/low value of windpower. Part III the negative environmental effects of continued subsidization of windpower, including the “cleanliness” standard of the Baucus proposal.]
“Tax breaks and subsidies for wind transfer wealth from ordinary taxpayers and electric customers to “wind farm” owners, electric customers in some states, and the voluntary purchasers of high cost electricity from wind.”
During the past 20 years, a variety of tax breaks and special subsidies for the wind industry have had massive wealth transfer impacts. The proposed production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC) would extend such impact for years into the future.…
Continue Reading[Editor note: This is the third except of a January 15 letter to the Senate Finance Committee concerning the Baucus tax-reform proposal of December 18, 2013. Part I reprinted the executive summary and conclusions; Part II the high cost/low value of windpower; and Part IV will review the negative environmental effects of continued subsidization of windpower, including the “cleanliness” standard of the Baucus proposal.]
For more than a decade, the wind industry and its advocates have created a false impression among many in the public, media, and government that electricity from wind is “clean” and can be provided without adverse environmental and ecological impacts.
As demonstrated earlier, the production of electricity from wind actually results in emission of air pollutants because electric grid managers are forced by the availability of electricity from wind to keep other, generally fossil-fueled, generating units immediately available to compensate for the unreliability, intermittence, and volatility of the output from wind turbines.…
Continue ReadingThe Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy & environmental policies. Our basic position is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science. It’s all spelled out at WiseEnergy.org, which is a wealth of energy and environmental resources.
A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every 3 weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and environmental matters. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.
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Wind Energy: Production Tax Credit (PTC)
… Continue ReadingChicago Tribune Editorial: Let the wind subsidy blow away
Alexander: Ending Wind Subsidy a Good Way to Celebrate New Year, ++
Overhaul the energy tax-credit system
Wind Subsidy Death was the Right Decision…