LTE on offshore wind & clean energy tax credits, Baltimore Sun
Chris Wiegard
245 Posts

Maryland CCL volunteer Cheryl Arney got this one in. What do you think of her messaging. @Charlotte Ward ?

Dear Editor-
Thank you to the Taxpayers Protection Alliance for asking President Donald Trump to reconsider his executive order halting the development of onshore and offshore wind projects (“Let the free market decide whether wind power is viable,” April 7).

David Williams, the TPA’s president, provided many reasons in his recent commentary in The Baltimore Sun: “Unleashing domestic energy production should not mean new shackles for renewable energy,” he observed. And this: “Shutting down wind farms simply because of their technology runs counter to the president’s goal of becoming energy-dominant and energy-independent.”

He cited the economic benefits, too: “Wind leases generate large sums of money for the federal government.” America needs more power “from diverse sources to deliver lower costs while meeting growing demand.”

These are excellent reasons for supporting wind energy. But I disagree with Williams when he advocates revoking the clean energy tax credits and production tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. He believes that “it is the market, not regulators, that should determine what technologies are used.” But we would not have a viable solar and wind industry today had it not had some government support early on.

Today, companies using the IRA’s clean-energy tax credits bring in capital which stimulates local economies. That creates jobs. Both red and blue districts benefit. It would be folly to revoke these tax credits.

Baltimore and the state of Maryland were poised to be the site of many new manufacturing facilities to support our burgeoning off-shore wind industry. US Wind planned to establish a production facility at the former site of Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore County. The fate of this economic activity and job creation is now in doubt due to President Trump’s executive order on wind.

But wind energy is about more than electricity, jobs and low cost. It is also about solving the climate problem by reducing the carbon emissions that drive it.

People across the political spectrum have different reasons, but they come together in wanting the president to revoke his order halting wind projects. Call or email President Trump and tell him we need wind included in our energy portfolio. Also let your members of Congress know you support the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act because of the benefits they bring to your community.

— Cheryl Arney, Ellicott City

1 Replies

@Chris Wiegard I think it's great. I like the specific examples.

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