Tuesday will be Wind Day at the State Capitol where wind industry developers, vendors and advocates will gather to convince state legislators of the benefits of the wind farms across the state and that perhaps tax credits for the industry should not be eliminated.
“Much of our Wind Day effort will be reminding legislative leaders of their agreement with the wind industry last session to maintain the zero emission tax credit until its sunset in 2020,” said Jeff Clark, executive director of The Wind Coalition. “Premature abolishment of the credit will send a negative message to wind developers and other industries that Oklahoma does not honor its business commitments.”
He said the day will also be spent educating legislators on wind energy’s role as a vital component of the state’s diversified energy portfolio.
“Multiple studies, including one commissioned last November by the State Chamber of Commerce, continue to demonstrate that wind energy returns millions of dollars annually to local schools, county governments and rural landowners across Oklahoma while providing high-quality jobs,” said Clark. He added that the wind industry has invested more than $9 billion in Oklahoma in the past 13 years.
“In addition, wind power provides long-term price stability for developers and consumers, and is a primary reason why Oklahoma’s two largest investor-owned utilities, OGE and PSO, utilize wind energy to the tune of a collective consumer savings of nearly $2 billion,” added Clark. “If the legislature bows to political pressure and fails to continue to offer an attractive regulatory and economic environment, the wind industry, and other industries, will simply take their business to neighboring states offering more attractive business environments. Oklahoma must not allow that to happen.”
The wind industry has been attacked in the past month by an oil and gas group called the Windfall Coalition which contends the tax credits should be eliminated. Harold Hamm, founder of Continental Resources is the leader of the group.
