
Stefanie Penn Spear
Three years ago I would have never believed that in December 2011 our country would still be running without a federal energy policy. It has been clear for so long that we need to transition to cleaner, renewable sources of power and pass legislation mandating a renewable portfolio standard (RPS)—requiring a certain percentage of the nation's electricity to be generated by renewable energy sources—and put a cap on carbon.
Years ago it seemed inevitable that we would finally move in the right direction and create a sustainable energy system. But we find ourselves in the same position as we did this time last year, without a RPS or carbon tax, and hoping Congress will extend the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) before it sunsets at the end of the year. The PTC allows companies who invest in renewable energy to receive a grant in lieu of a tax credit. The grant is highly desirable for companies that don’t have taxable income to offset the tax incentive.
The PTC extension is necessary to help level the playing field between the fossil fuel industry and renewables. Since the fossil fuel industry is so highly subsidized by the federal government, and externalizes its costs, it is impossible for solar, wind and other renewable industries to compete without incentives. According to a report—60 Years of Energy Incentives—by the Management Information Services (as summarized in the chart below), shows that the largest beneficiaries of federal energy incentives have been oil and gas producers, receiving more than half of all incentives provided since 1950. The fossil fuel industry as a whole, has received more than 70 percent of all incentives throughout the last 60 years.
If the PTC extension is not renewed, it will greatly reduce the number of renewable energy projects installed in the U.S. and put us further behind other nations in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), facing the threat of the PTC expiring, wind project developers are hesitant to plan future U.S. projects and American manufacturers have seen a marked decrease in orders. Job layoffs have already begun. The wind industry is facing the recurrence of the boom-bust cycle it saw in previous years when the PTC was allowed to expire. In the years following expiration, the number of annual installations of wind projects dropped by more than 70 percent, resulting in significant job losses.
AWEA points out that the wind energy industry has lowered the cost of wind power by more than 90 percent, has fostered economic development in all 50 states and currently powers the equivalent of 10 million American homes. The PTC has been instrumental in helping the wind industry achieve these breakthroughs. Experts say that if we keep the PTC in place, more than 500,000 jobs will be created in the next 20 years. By then, wind will generate 20 percent of America’s electricity.
In the House of Representatives, Congressmen Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have introduced HR 3307, the American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011. This bill proposes to extend the PTC for four years.
In the Senate, legislators are discussing tax legislation that's expected to be passed before the end of the year. Renewable energy advocates are encouraging Senators to include the PTC extension in this tax package.
Now is the time to urge Congress to take immediate action to pass a four-year extension on the PTC. You can send an email to your elected officials by clicking here.
California is bracing for rare January wildfires this week amid damaging Santa Ana winds coupled with unusually hot and dry winter weather.
High winds, gusting up to 80- to 90 miles per hour in some parts of the state, are expected to last through Wednesday evening. Nearly the entire state has been in a drought for months, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which, alongside summerlike temperatures, has left vegetation dry and flammable.
Utilities Southern California Edison and PG&E, which serves the central and northern portions of the state, warned it may preemptively shut off power to hundreds of thousands of customers to reduce the risk of electrical fires sparked by trees and branches falling on live power lines. The rare January fire conditions come on the heels of the worst wildfire season ever recorded in California, as climate change exacerbates the factors causing fires to be more frequent and severe.
California is also experiencing the most severe surge of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with hospitals and ICUs over capacity and a stay-at-home order in place. Wildfire smoke can increase the risk of adverse health effects due to COVID, and evacuations forcing people to crowd into shelters could further spread the virus.
As reported by AccuWeather:
In the atmosphere, air flows from high to low pressure. The setup into Wednesday is like having two giant atmospheric fans working as a team with one pulling and the other pushing the air in the same direction.
Normally, mountains to the north and east of Los Angeles would protect the downtown which sits in a basin. However, with the assistance of the offshore storm, there will be areas of gusty winds even in the L.A. Basin. The winds may get strong enough in parts of the basin to break tree limbs and lead to sporadic power outages and sparks that could ignite fires.
"Typically, Santa Ana winds stay out of downtown Los Angeles and the L.A. Basin, but this time, conditions may set up just right to bring 30- to 40-mph wind gusts even in those typically calm condition areas," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll.
For a deeper dive:
AP, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Weather Channel, AccuWeather, New York Times, Slideshow: New York Times; Climate Signals Background: Wildfires, 2020 Western wildfire season
For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.
- Bond Fire South of LA Forces 25,000 to Flee - EcoWatch ›
- 'Explosive' Southern California Lake Fire Spreads to 10,000 Acres ... ›
- 10 Wildfires Ignite Around Los Angeles in Unseasonable Wind and ... ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Jennifer Sass, Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Dr. Philip J. Landrigan and Simon Strong
"Prevention is the cure for child/teen cancer." This is the welcoming statement on a website called 'TheReasonsWhy.Us', where families affected by childhood cancers can sign up for a landmark new study into the potential environmental causes.
Trending
Climate Crisis Will Shift Tropical Rain Belt and Create Food Insecurity for Billions, Study Finds
Nearly 1.6 million people in the southern part of Madagascar have faced food insecurity since 2016, experiencing one drought after another, the United Nations World Food Program reported.
- Half a Degree of Warming Makes a Big Difference to Global Food ... ›
- UN Warns of Impending Food Crisis - EcoWatch ›
- Global Hunger Is Increasing, New UN Report Finds - EcoWatch ›
President-elect Joe Biden is planning to cancel the controversial Keystone XL pipeline on the first day of his administration, a document reported by CBC on Sunday suggests.
- Construction Begins on Keystone XL Pipeline in Montana - EcoWatch ›
- Trump Approves Keystone XL Pipeline, Groups Vow 'The Fight Is ... ›
- Keystone XL Pipeline Construction to Forge Ahead During ... ›
By Monir Ghaedi
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep most of Europe on pause, the EU aims for a breakthrough in its space program. The continent is seeking more than just a self-sufficient space industry competitive with China and the U.S.; the industry must also fit into the European Green Deal.
European satellites continue to provide data on climate change.