Federal subsidies for wind are OK?
The Wichita Eagle, www.kansas.com 17 October 2011
Wind energy has a wonderful sound to it and has plenty of ardent supporters, including our staunchly conservative governor who has previously declared, on behalf of us all, that Kansas didn’t need tainted federal money or its pernicious influence on our Kansas values. But all wind energy, including BP’s new wind farm (Oct. 4 Eagle), is heavily subsidized by the federal government.
According to federal tax code, the $800 million BP project qualifies for 100 percent bonus depreciation, which enables it to deduct all of its capital costs in the first year. In addition, wind energy gets a two-cent-per-kilowatt-hour tax credit that lasts for 10 years.
It is also worth noting that, depending on commodity prices and the cost of installation, the electricity generated from wind energy is anywhere from two to six times as costly as that generated by conventional facilities using natural gas – a readily available and undervalued commodity in this country.
Gov. Sam Brownback needs to explain the difference between this project and the money he sent back to Washington, D.C., because I am confused and beginning to think that corporations make bigger campaign contributions than non-profit organizations. But that’s just crazy talk, right?
ROBERT STOLZLE
Goddard
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/17/federal-subsidies-for-wind-are-ok/