Consider these points on job claims
The Daily News | thedailynewsonline.com 3 September 2012
In response to Andrew Korfhage’s Aug. 18 opinion essay, “How Mitt Romney could blow his chances in Iowa.” He fails to mention that Iowa leads the country in federal tax subsidies for industrial wind and ethanol. They are collecting billions of dollars of our taxes while the price of corn and electricity skyrockets. The only people smiling are in China, Denmark and Spain.
I truly believe that, all politics are local, and a letter headlined, “How Kathy Hochul could blow her chances in Wyoming County and the 26th Congressional District” by supporting Obama’s energy policy would certainly be more interesting to readers of the Batavia Daily.
Since job claims are the main argument that elected officials, lobbyists and Mr. Korfhage are using to try and justify a PTC extension I would ask readers and elected officials to consider these points.
1) Essentially all of the job claims made for the extension of the PTC, come from one source: the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), whose only job is to promote wind-energy business.
2) None of the PTC job claims made by AWEA have provided the specific details, or have been independently verified by qualified sources.
3) There is considerable evidence that green job and wind job claims are highly exaggerated.
4) When job claims are made, one of the most significant considerations is: What is the net jobs impact? None of the wind lobbyist jobs claims are net.
5) Several studies done by independent experts have concluded that wind development results in a net jobs loss.
6) Another important consideration is: What is the cost per job created? Analyses by independent financial experts conclude that the cost per wind job created by subsidies, is extremely high. You only have to go as far as Wyoming County to see that it’s in the millions.
7) Of course any tax handout (e.g. the PTC) will create jobs. An important consideration is: How many jobs would be created if the same amount of tax revenue was directed elsewhere? Mr. Korfhage from Green America never examines that question. According to the Congressional Budget Office if the same were given to the natural gas industry over nine times as many jobs would be created.
8) A proven way to have widespread job increases is to have reliable, less-expensive energy. Wind energy is unreliable and more expensive, so how can that possibly be the sensible way to go?
9) Congress has estimated that the PTC credit will cost taxpayers over $ 12 billion – for just a one-year extension. In effect this will be money borrowed from China, that will increase our national debt beyond the already $16 trillion.
America needs an “all of the sensible” energy policy. See www.PTCFacts.info.
Steven Moultrup
Orangeville
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/09/03/consider-these-points-on-job-claims/