Laying out at least one side of the fight over wind industry rebates opposed by the state’s oil and gas industry, Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller discusses the issue he titled “Gone with the Wind” in his monthly Oklahoma Economic Report.
The report also reveals that Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett sides with the Windfall Coalition, the group that contends the wind industry rebate program is “more parasitic for Oklahoma taxpayers and the schools, infrastructure and social programs the state supports.” He is listed as one of the members of the Windfall Coalition. The group, writing in Ken Miller’s report said “wind power is inherently unreliable and cannot be stored commercially, electricity generators must rely on baseload supplies from other sources to ensure Oklahomans have the power they need.”
Miller allowed a guest commentary by Harold Hamm and Pete Delaney who attacked the tax credits for the wind industry, writing, “With planned wind capacity in Oklahoma set to double from 2015-2017, the damage wind industry subsidies will inflict on the funding of vital state services will be catastrophic if they are not stopped now.”
While Hamm and Delaney charged the tax credits are costing state government more than $316 million this year, there was no guest commentary from the wind industry.
Read Treasurer’s full report.
State Treasurer’s report
