Washington, DC – To keep America on the path towards energy independence and environmental sustainability, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) has introduced legislation, H.R. 6409, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the production tax credit to ten years for wind generated energy.

“By extending the production tax credit for wind for ten years, we can cut GHG emissions, reduce energy costs for families and usher in a decade of growth for the green-job sector,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “Generating clean alternatives to fossil fuel based electricity production must be a top priority for Congress.”

The Department of Energy projects that wind has the potential to produce 20% of our electricity by 2030. A 2007 report estimates that wind power alone could lower emissions by 150 million tons of carbon dioxide in the year 2020, avoiding nearly 33% of expected emission increases in the electric sector. Federal energy subsidies should be used to encourage the creation of the electrical infrastructure.

The legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources. Nationally, wind receives only one fourth of the amount of tax incentives allocated to fossil fuel electricity production. Further, many of the subsidies for electricity generation from fossil fuels are permanent, while renewables, like wind, are in jeopardy of losing their incentives every year.

“Congress can do much more to shift the country from a dependency on fossil fuels to clean, renewable resources. If we are serious about our commitment to combating greenhouse gasses, protecting our environment and getting our economy back on track, we must ensure stability for renewables, like wind, and pass H.R. 6409.” McCollum added.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4) serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.