CEI Joins More Than 30 Organizations Opposing Extending Renewable Energy Provisions in FAA Reauthorization
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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 Affairs Americans for Prosperity
Amy Noone Frederick,
President 60 Plus Association
Phil Kerpen,
President American Commitment
Dan Schneider,
Executive Director
Matt Schlapp,
Chairman American Conservative Union
George David Banks,
Executive Vice President American Council for Capital Formation
Sean Noble,
President American Encore
Tom Pyle,
President American Energy Alliance
Coley Jackson,
President Americans for Competitive Enterprise
Peter J. Thomas,
Chairman Americans for Constitutional Liberty
Richard Manning,
President Americans for Limited Government
Grover Norquist,
President Americans for Tax Reform
Marita Noon,
Executive Director Citizens' Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE)
Tom Brinkman Jr.,
Chairman Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST)
Myron Ebell,
Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute
Dan Caldwell,
Vice President for Political and Legislative Action Concerned Veterans for America
Tom Schatz,
President Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Craig Richardson,
Executive Director Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal)
Marita Noon,
Executive Director Energy Makes America Great
Dick Ribbentrop,
Senior Vice President, Policy Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce
Wayne T. Brough, Ph.D.,
Chief Economist and VP for Research FreedomWorks
George Landrith,
President Frontiers of Freedom
Andrew Clark,
President Generation Opportunity
Michael A. Needham,
Chief Executive Officer Heritage Action for America
Andrew Langer,
President Institute for Liberty
Seton Motley,
President Less Government
Daniel Garza,
Executive Director The LIBRE Initiative
Dee Hodges,
President Maryland Taxpayers Association
Harry C. Alford,
President/CEO National Black Chamber of Commerce
Amy Ridenour,
Chairman National Center for Public Policy Research
Willes K. Lee,
President National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Pete Sepp,
President National Taxpayers Union
David Williams,
President Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Judson Phillips,
Founder Tea Party Nation
Brooke Rollins,
President Texas Public Policy Foundation