AWEA increases political donations in PTC push
Credit: Diane Bailey, Windpower Monthly, 18 July 2012, 9:05am | www.windpowermonthly.com ~~
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is stepping up its election year political donations as it works to stave off expiration of the $0.022/kWh production tax credit (PTC) at the end of this year, with close to half going to Republican candidates so far this year.
According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, AWEA’s political action committee (WindPAC) doled out nearly $56,000 to federal candidates in the second quarter of 2012.
The WindPAC donated to key Republican members of the House of Representatives, where the PTC extension is facing is biggest roadblocks.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor received $2,500, Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton received $1,000 and Dave Camp, who chairs the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, received $2,500.
In total, Republicans received 38% of the second quarter donations while Democrats got the other 62%. Democratic senator Mark Udall, who has taken to giving daily floor speeches when the Senate is in session pushing for a PTC extension, received one of the largest contributions of $5,000.
In the first quarter of 2012, WindPAC made $42,500 in federal campaign donations, with 41% going to Democrats and 59% to Republicans.
The urgency of this year’s lobbying effort is reflected in the volume of donations. The last time Americans went to the polls to elect a president in 2008, WindPac made federal political donations totalling just $31,000 in the first half of the year.
