Environment, International, Politics, Society

A Cold Wind Blows: Romney To Kill Support For Wind Power In The United States

In Germany the country is setting records in its reliance on alternative energy sources like solar power and record wind power installations. Japan is now building the country’s biggest solar park which make it one of the world’s largest markets for solar power (Newscientist). Here in the United States, of course, we continue to let the world take the lead in such efforts. Mitt Romney’s campaign has announced that he intends not only to reject calls for greater investment in our wind power industry but to actually kill federal support for wind power.

Romney wants to end long-standing tax credits for wind farm projects. This would result in the death of the production tax credits (PTCs). Shawn McCoy, a spokesman for Romney’s Iowa campaign, says killing PTCs is merely creating “a level playing field on which all sources of energy can compete on their merits.” That would be good news for our oil and coal industries.

I understand (and generally agree with) the preference to rely on the market to favor the most efficient industries. However, our reliance on oil and coal has produced continuing environmental harm and oil imports fund some countries with extreme policies on civil liberties as well as terrorism ties. Our European allies have seen the value to investing heavily in these alternative and clean energy sources. Cost/benefit analysis is only as accurate as the underlying data. When the myriad of benefits are considered, these credits are highly efficient. Indeed, the ability to maximize our use of alternative and clean energy is both a public health and national security priority.

With the world rushing forward, we appear to be rushing back (lead by an army of lobbyists).

Source: Newscientist

47 thoughts on “A Cold Wind Blows: Romney To Kill Support For Wind Power In The United States”

  1. President Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, would not tell House members today how many companies that have received loan guarantees might go bankrupt, nor would he promise to provide the list of companies at risk to Congress.

    “I don’t, again, recall the exact number,” Chu said in the course of repeated questioning from House Subcommittee on Energy and Power lawmakers who wondered how many companies might follow Solyndra into bankruptcy. “The American taxpayer has every right to expect that there is a reasonable chance of repayment for every loan that we give out,” Chu did allow.

    Chu also refused to promise that he would have his staff give the committee a list of the companies that have received DOE loan guarantees. “We will do what we can,” Chu told Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas. “We don’t want to violate company confidentialities; the dynamics of what happens in these companies changes pretty rapidly.”

    http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/1167921

  2. Solar Trust of America

    Solar Trust for America received $2.1 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the Department of Energy — “the largest amount ever offered to a solar project,” according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu — for a project near Blythe, Calif., but declared bankruptcy within a year. It is unclear how much of the guarantee, if any, was actually awarded.

    http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/1209621

  4. Just two years after President Obama touted a $400 million loan to the green energy firm Abound Solar, the company is declaring bankruptcy.

    Update: 7/19/12: The Amonix Solar: FAIL – manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas, subsidized by more than $20 million in federal tax credits and grants given by Obama Administration, has closed its 214,000 square foot facility a year after it opened.

    Solar Trust of America: FAIL – Filed Bankruptcy in Oakland, CA, April 3, 2012 – On April 2, 2012

    Bright Source: FAIL – Bright Source warned Obama’s Energy Department officials in March 2011 that delays in approving a $1.6 billion U.S. loan guarantee would embarrass the White House and force the solar-energy company to close. Lost Billions of dollars but Getting More Money To Keep Trying. Can you say, “This isnt working?”

    Solyndra: FAIL – Obama gave Solyndra $500,000,000 in taxpayer money and Solyndra shut its doors and laid off 1100 workers in August 2011 After Billions in Losses due to failure to make a solar product that works!

    LSP Energy: FAIL – LSPEnergy LP filed bankruptcy protection and a sale of its assets in Feb 2012
    Energy Conversion Devices: FAIL – On February 14, 2012 Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy

    Abound Solar: FAIL – Abound Solar received a $400 million loan guarantee from Barack Obama announced in June, 2012 that it would file for bankruptcy

    SunPower: FAIL – SunPower stopped producing solar cells last year at near bankruptcy restructured only with help of, get this, oil giant TOTAL who owns 60% stake. Irony! Still struggling…

    Beacon Power: FAIL – Beacon Power Corp filed for bankruptcy Oct 2011 just a year after Obama approved $43 million loan Government loan guarantee

    Ecotality: FAIL – ECOtality, a San Francisco green-tech company that never earned any money on the verge of bankruptcy after receiving roughly $115 million in two loan guarantees from Obama

    A123 Solar: FAIL-A123 received $279 million from taxpayers thanks to President Obama’s Department of Energy loan guarantees and after Solyndra bankruptcy is getting another $500M from Obama and it has lost $400M

    UniSolar: FAIL – Uni-Solar filed for Ch 11 bankruptcy in June 20 this year laid off hundreds got more Obama money still failing but still in business

    Azure Dynamics: FAIL – Azure Dynamics files for bankruptcy in June ter millions in Obama “Stimulus”

    Evergreen Solar: FAIL – Evergreen Solar received $527 Million in Taxpayer money from Obama filed bankruptcy

    Ener1: FAIL received more than $100 million in government funding from the Obama administration filed for bankruptcy January 2012

    Update: In May 2012 Obama visited a dusty, desert town 30 miles outside Las Vegas Wednesday to declare he’s doubling down on failed federal efforts to boost the solar industry which has NEVER proven to produce a single working product. Like Socialism, no evidence ot works, but they just keep doubling down on the failed ideals!.

    http://www.dividedstates.com/list-of-failed-obama-green-energy-solar-companies/

  5. Why in the world would you want to damage any legitimate clean energy industry at this stage of our economy? The only answer that makes sense is that Gov. Romney is in the pocket of Big dirty energy companies. But don’t dare end the Oil subsidies. What a creep.

  7. “The former governor of my state looking forward to the past! Is he a member of the Luddite party?”

    Now that is just funny since wind power has been used for hundreds of years.

    I wonder what Romney thinks about nuclear power? That would be a good indicator as to his being a Luddite.

    Isnt there a book about some Spanish guy from the 1600’s jousting with windmills? Oh yes, Don Quixote de La Mancha; now that seems appropriate.

    Don Quixote the patron saint of modern wind power.

  9. Romney is an empty suit looking for special interests to fill it. There is no there there.

  14. T. Boone Pickens is probably not real happy right now….I am just saying….

  17. It is hard for this dog to understand why Turley supports Romney. Most articles have some snide aside about Obama appointee this, or Obama did that. The Willard is the worst threat to the world since Adolph Hitler.

  18. Re this line: “I understand (and generally agree with) the preference to rely on the market to favor the most efficient industries.”

    If we truly had market forces in play, then this sentiment would be valid. As it is, the energy resources industry, like virtually every other “market” in this country, is completely distorted by tax credits, offshoring of profits, absurdly low costs for mineral rights, etc. Let alone that the old energy industries got off the ground with precisely the kind of government support that they are now trying to strip from new energy resources. People on all sides of the argument need to stop positing an old energy “free market” against a new energy “government-subsidized market”. That is a gross distortion of the reality, which in turn sets up false policy choices.

  20. Koch bros are opposed to clean energy. …..yet another reason to vote for Obama.

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