Washington (December 9, 2019) – As committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate continue to discuss a potential legislative package of tax extenders, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today led 18 of their colleagues in calling on Congressional leadership to prioritize clean energy extenders in any tax legislation. In their letter, the Senators call on leadership to extend, expand, and update current tax policies to increase the adoption of zero-emissions generation, energy storage, zero-emission vehicles and energy efficient buildings. This includes prioritizing the Offshore Wind Investment Tax Credit, Storage Investment Tax Credit, Solar and Clean Energy Investment Tax Credit Extension, Energy Efficiency Tax Credit, clean vehicles, and onshore wind.
“Tax incentives have effectively encouraged the production of clean, renewable energy and contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions,” write the Senators in their letter to House and Senate leadership. “The scientific need for immediate climate action has only become more apparent in recent years, and now we have an opportunity to take significant steps and invest in the American economy. Especially as we work to convey our ongoing commitment to our global partners, we must work together to seize this opportunity to pass bipartisan pro-growth, pro-climate legislation.”
A copy of the letter can be found HERE.
According to the Rhodium Group, extending and expanding tax credits through 2025 for zero-emitting electrical generation could reduce up to 125 million tons of emissions, making up a quarter of America’s national commitment under the current Paris climate agreement targets.
Also signing the letter are Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
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