The federal wind Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind power’s primary incentive, has been allowed to expire periodically since its inception in 1992, creating a boom-bust cycle. When taxes on the industry have increased, wind energy installations have dropped as much as 93%. Extending the PTC will help wind power become increasingly cost-competitive and keep generating both manufacturing jobs and badly needed income and taxes for rural communities.
Tim Hemphill, a farmer who raises hogs, corn and soybeans near Milford, Iowa, and who is featured on KCAU-TV and in the first installment of AWEA’s new WindTV weekly video service, offers this: without new sources of energy, he said, "I think someday even in Iowa we’re going to flip a light switch and nothing is going to happen. So it’s cheap, renewable–there’s no end to the energy from wind turbines." Hemphill hosts two wind turbines on his land, and is a strong supporter of the wind farm industry.
Tom Gray, www.awea.org/blog/
