Wow. You don’t see gall this unmitigated every day.
Here’s Pete Domenici, with a “Statement on Renewable Energy Tax Credits in Economic Stimulus Package”:
Over the last several years, it is apparent that America’s renewable energy industry has shown great promise. Much of the growth of these industries, such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal, has been a direct result of tax credits established by Congress. Many of these tax credits, however, are set to expire at the end of this year.
I strongly believe that the renewable energy tax credits should be extended, and that the economic stimulus package now on the table is an appropriate place to do it. Tax incentives that provide for the production of renewable energy will help grow the economy by increasing jobs, lowering energy prices, and infusing much-needed capital into the markets.
The balls on this guy.
Domenici was, you’ll recall, one of the prime movers in the effort to kill the version of the energy bill that contained an RPS, which would have mandated renewable energy. Then he was one of the prime movers in the effort to kill the next version of the energy bill, which lost the RPS but kept tax credits for renewable energy.
What’s the difference now? Well, the RPS and the tax package in the energy bill threatened fossil fuel interests (the tax credits would have been paid for out of oil subsidies). The PTC, on the other hand, is just one more line item on the grotesque, debt-busting Republican federal ledger.
All too clear what Domenici’s real priorities are.
