Dear Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden:
On behalf of our organizations and the millions of Americans we represent, we write to express our strong opposition to extending expiring renewable energy provisions on upcoming legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Congress considered the matter of expiring tax provisions less than 4 months ago. The $680 billion package signed into law in December made some of these items permanent and allowed more than two dozen others to expire at the end of this past year, laying the groundwork for comprehensive tax reform. The $1.4 billion in expiring tax provisions currently under consideration — pertaining to wind power, geothermal heat pumps, fuel cell facilities and combined heat and power (CHP) properties — are a distortion of the tax laws for special interests in the renewable energy industry and were wisely left out of this package.
It should also be noted that Congress extended significantly favorable tax treatment to renewable energy in omnibus appropriation legislation that accompanied the aforementioned tax extender package. This bill included 5-year extensions of the main federal provisions for renewables, the wind production tax credit (PTC) and the solar investment tax credit (ITC), at a cost of $23.8 billion over the next decade.
Government subsidies, loans, mandates, and tax policies regarding renewables have consistently failed to deliver on their promises of long-term job creation and economic viability. Americans deserve access to energy solutions that are affordable and reliable—ones that should be able to stand on their own in the marketplace.
We encourage you to oppose efforts to use unrelated legislation as a vehicle to extend expiring tax provisions for renewable energy. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brent Gardner, Vice President of Government AffairsAmericans for Prosperity Amy Noone Frederick, President60 Plus Association Phil Kerpen, PresidentAmerican Commitment Dan Schneider, Executive DirectorMatt Schlapp, ChairmanAmerican Conservative Union George David Banks, Executive Vice PresidentAmerican Council for Capital Formation Sean Noble, PresidentAmerican Encore Tom Pyle, PresidentAmerican Energy Alliance Coley Jackson, PresidentAmericans for Competitive Enterprise Peter J. Thomas, ChairmanAmericans for Constitutional Liberty Richard Manning, PresidentAmericans for Limited Government Grover Norquist, PresidentAmericans for Tax Reform Marita Noon, Executive DirectorCitizens' Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE) Tom Brinkman Jr., ChairmanCoalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) Myron Ebell, Director, Center for Energy and EnvironmentCompetitive Enterprise Institute Dan Caldwell, Vice President for Political and Legislative ActionConcerned Veterans for America Tom Schatz, PresidentCouncil for Citizens Against Government Waste Craig Richardson, Executive DirectorEnergy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) Marita Noon, Executive DirectorEnergy Makes America Great Dick Ribbentrop, Senior Vice President, PolicyFreedom Partners Chamber of Commerce Wayne T. Brough, Ph.D., Chief Economist and VP for ResearchFreedomWorks George Landrith, PresidentFrontiers of Freedom Andrew Clark, PresidentGeneration Opportunity Michael A. Needham, Chief Executive OfficerHeritage Action for America Andrew Langer, PresidentInstitute for Liberty Seton Motley, PresidentLess Government Daniel Garza, Executive DirectorThe LIBRE Initiative Dee Hodges, PresidentMaryland Taxpayers Association Harry C. Alford, President/CEONational Black Chamber of Commerce Amy Ridenour, ChairmanNational Center for Public Policy Research Willes K. Lee, PresidentNational Federation of Republican Assemblies Pete Sepp, PresidentNational Taxpayers Union David Williams, PresidentTaxpayers Protection Alliance Judson Phillips, FounderTea Party Nation Brooke Rollins, PresidentTexas Public Policy Foundation