May 1, 2013
U.S.

Renewable energy programs costing tax payers

5/01/2013 | www.whptv.com

You’d never pay multiple people to do the exact same job for you. But a Congressional Watchgroup has found it happening. For the third year in a row, the Government Accountability Office has come out with a report detailing overlap and duplication in these programs, paid for by your tax dollars.

Across the country, wind turbines are becoming a familiar sight. Wind energy is just one of several renewable energy programs, run by the federal government and paid for by you.

It turns out there are 679 renewable energy initiatives at 23 federal agencies and their 130 sub-agencies. The price tag for these initiatives? Is around $15 billion and that was just in 2010. Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, says they don’t even know if the money spent is working. “We don’t know if it’s cost effective. We don’t know if the money we’re spending is actually helping in terms of green energy.”

Coburn blames his own colleagues for voting to fund programs that have no accountability. “The hold-up is career politicians. Every one of these programs that are wasteful have a constituency.”

This is one issues that is party neutral. Whether Democrat or Republican, no one wants to eliminate government programs that are creating jobs in their district, even if they’re the same jobs others are already doing. But at the same time, there are many in Washington pushing for more energy efficiency programs. John Coequy, with the Sierra Club is one of those pushing for it. He says there’s a lot of talking, but not enough action. “Congress talks a lot about energy efficiency, but they can’t get basic regulations across the finish line.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/05/01/renewable-energy-programs-costing-tax-payers/