Tell Congress — Don’t renew tax credits for industrial wind projects 

There is a real danger that Production Tax Credits (PTCs) for industrial wind projects will be extended. They are due to expire at year’s end, but Congress may vote soon on a proposal to extend those credits. Extension of the PTCs could be surreptitiously attached as a rider to the upcoming congressional budget bill. 

If you want to protect our mountains, deserts, scenic and rural areas, wildlife and Native American cultural sites, please join me immediately in asking your members of Congress not to renew tax credits for these large-scale projects remote from places where the energy will be used.

There are much cleaner, less destructive, more efficient ways to meet our nation’s energy needs!

In our region, by better insulating our homes, conserving energy, and installing photovoltaic solar panels on our rooftops and over parking lots, along with local distributed energy, we can protect the view sheds and habitats that make our region special.

The Republicans passed legislation to end the PTCs at the end of 2012, but there is a huge movement to renew the credits in 2013.  This movement is being led by some Democrats in Congress and by several national environmental organizations, which are woefully uninformed,oblivious, or uncaring about the impacts to desert and other lands from industrial wind and solar projects. Heavy lobbying from the wind industry, including big wind corporations owned by big oil corporations, are pushing the PTC extension to boost their profits at public expense.

Action needed: Each of us needs to write a short letter and send it in the U.S. Mail (not email) to the local district offices of both our current democratic and republican senators and congress people.   The message can be simple along these lines:

Do not renew the PTC.  I do not want industrial wind destroying our desert and other open spaces, killing critical avian and other species and destroying our Native American cultural heritage.   I want a restoration of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans, increased energy efficiency of our homes and commercial buildings and to install local, democratically owned solar panels within the built environment.  Big Wind is an expensive, destructive taxpayer-funded, boondoggle and we do not want any more of it.  Vote NO on the PTC.

Please spread the word.  It is such a shame to be destroying huge expanses of habitat, the plants and animals that live there and our Native American cultural heritage for these inefficient wind turbines.

If you do not know the name and address of your current federal representatives, you can use the links below, but please mail your letter to your congressperson’s local district offices.   You can also leave a phone message at their local offices.  Ask to speak to their legislative staff person and leave a message with your name and address and your message.

Congress may be voting on a budget bill soon so write your letters and make your phone calls ASAP.  

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Terry Weiner is the Imperial County Projects and Conservation Coordinator for the Desert Protective Council (www.protectdeserts.org) and a co-founder of Solar Done Right (www.solardoneright.org).   She can be reached at (619) 342-5524; terryweiner@sbcglobal.net.