The job-creating narrative of the Republican Party took a
major blow after Chicago-housed Invenergy announced that it was pushing back
its startup date for building 18 wind turbines on top of a Roanoke County
mountain due to an uncertain future for wind energy government incentives.[1]
The new target date has been delayed to 2015.
One of the main concerns of Invenergy is the future of the
soon-to-be expired wind energy Production Tax Credit. According
to the American Wind Energy Association, the tax credit of 2.2 cents for every
kilowatt-hour of power created has been an important subsidy in keeping the
prices of producing wind energy down.[2]
Also at stake are at least 75,000 jobs across the U.S.
The subsidies provided Virginia’s, and America’s, green
energy sector has been one of the main reasons for contention among many within
the Republican Party. These same politicians have, however, had no problem
subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.[3]
In order to turn attention away from their blatant
hypocrisy, GOP lawmakers have pivoted towards a “job killing” argument, arguing
in effect that “green jobs” kill jobs in other sectors of the economy.[4]
Notwithstanding the fact that the same argument can be made of fossil fuel
jobs, GOP lawmakers have also had no qualms about cashing in on green energy
subsidies for their constituencies.[5]
Thus, the job killing argument is just as fallacious as the contempt GOP
lawmakers demonstrate towards green energy subsides.
Nonetheless, Virginia must now suffer the economic and
environmental consequences of putting off another clean energy installation due
to a political party that has cut its legislative teeth on obstructionism and
obdurate political behavior. This isn’t the first such instance nor will it be
the last unless Virginians and Americans vote these kamikazes out of public
office.
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