Dear Member of Congress

Report

December 1, 2015 
 

Dear Member of Congress,  
  

We are writing to ask you to support the growth of pollution-free renewable energy and to ensure the extension of critical federal incentives for clean renewable energy, including the Production Tax Credit (PTC), the Offshore Wind (OSW) Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind, and the Solar Investment Tax Credit. As organizations, businesses, and elected officials representing millions of citizens, we believe responsibly planned and sited renewable energy – including onshore and offshore wind — provides tremendous environmental and economic benefits and must play a significant role in  our nation s energy plan.     

 
Working in tandem, wind and solar power have already provided tremendous benefits by reducing pollution, providing more stable electricity prices and creating local jobs.  Both wind and solar have experienced significant growth because of these incentives. Unlike existing tax incentives and subsidies for incumbent fuels such as oil, gas, and nuclear, incentives for clean energy must be renewed frequently, leading to boom and bust cycles. The PTC has played a key role advancing wind energy, while the OSW ITC is key to the development of our yet to be realized offshore wind resource. Both of these expired last year. Similarly, the solar ITC, which expires at the end of next year, has been central to the major advances in solar energy. Wind energy can and should be a key component of the implementation of the Clean Power Plan, but strong federal policy such as the PTC and ITC are needed to ensure investment and development. The Clean Power Plan is the single largest step ever taken to reduce climate pollution in the U.S., and with wind energy at the forefront it can create clean energy jobs, improve public health, and move America to a clean energy future.  
 
Please support and work to renew the following renewable energy incentives: 
  

  • Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (Section 45). The PTC, a critical tool that supports investments in wind power and other renewable energy technologies, expired in 2014. In 2012, uncertainty as to whether the PTC would be extended by Congress caused wind installations to drop 92 percent. Wind energy is a true American success story – now powering the equivalent of more than 16.7 million homes across the country. 
  • Investment Tax Credit for Offshore Wind Energy (Section 48). There is tremendous potential for powering our economy with the pollution-free wind energy that blows off our shores. However, despite this potential and the economic development opportunities, there are still no operating offshore wind facilities in U.S. waters.   
  • Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for residential (Section 25D) and commercial (Section 48) properties. The solar ITC has fueled dramatic growth in solar installations and manufacturing capacity, while providing long-term certainty to the industry that has allowed costs to fall. According to a recent study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, extending the ITC beyond 2016 would result in more than 69 GW of new solar power being built across America between 2016  and 2022, representing a greater than 30 percent increase over the current  trajectory.    

  To ensure a cleaner, healthier environment and a vibrant clean energy economy, please work to extend these provisions as soon as possible this year. In addition, please keep tax legislation from being sidetracked by riders that are irrelevant, harm public health and the environment, and stand in the way of important investments that mean real jobs for real people.   
 

Sincerely, 

National

Environment America

Natural Resources Defense Council 

Oceana 

National Wildlife Federation 

Sierra Club 

Clean Water Action 

Defenders of Wildlife 

Earthjustice 

League of Conservation Voters 

Energy Action Coalition 

Environmental and Energy Study Institute 

Climate Parents Environmental Defense Fund 

GreenLatinos 

Beyond Nuclear 

Physicians for Social Responsibility 

Health Care Without Harm 

The Wilderness Society 

Interfaith Power & Light 

KyotoUSA 

Moms Clean Air Force 

The Rachel Carson Council 

Nuclear Information & Resource Service 

SustainUS 

The Coalition on The Environment and Jewish Life 

Regional

Acadia Center 

Chesapeake Climate Action Network 

Climate Solutions 

Conservation Law Foundation 

Gulf Restoration Network 

NW Energy Coalition 

Renewable Northwest 

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy  

Southern Environmental Law Center  

Wind on the Wires 


 Arizona

Association for the Tree of Life 

Environment Arizona 

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter 

 California

Rick DeGolia, Atherton Mayor  

Fred Gaines, Calabasas Councilmember 

California River Watch 

Scott Donahue, Emeryville Councilmember  

Ruth Atkin, Emeryville Mayor 

Environment California 

Laura Friedman, Glendale Councilmember  

Paula Perotte, Goleta Mayor  

Omar Ornelas, Lathrop Councilmember  

Jan Pepper, Los Altos Mayor  

Paul Koretz, Los Angeles Councilmember  

Skylar Peak, Malibu Councilmember  

Marsha Grilli, Milpitas Councilmember  

Physicians for Social Responsibility, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter   

Colorado

Eva Henry, Commisioner, Adams County   

Jill Ryan, Commisioner, Eagle County  

Dan Gibbs, Commisioner, Summitt County  

Sam Weaver, Councilor, Boulder County  

Mary Young, Councilor, City of Boulder  

Ross Cuniff, Councilor, Fort Collins City Council  

Tom Quinn, Councilor, Lakewood City Council  

Environment Colorado 

Tom Dowling, Lafayette City Council  

Kristian Teegardin, Mayor, City of Edgewater   

Connecticut

Connecticut Fund for the Environment  

Environment Connecticut  

Save the Sound 
 

Florida

Environment Florida    

Georgia

Melissa Link, Commissioner of 3rd District in Athens-Clarke County  

Bill Lockett, Commissioner of 5th District in Augusta  

Jerry Nesmith, Commissioner of 6th District in Athens-Clarke County  

Environment Georgia 

Georgia Interfaith Power and Light   
 

Illinois

Cotton Expressions 

Environment Illinois   

Indiana 

Citizens Action Coalition 

Iowa

Environment Iowa 

Iowa Interfaith Power & Light 

Maine 

Environment Maine 
 
 

Maryland

Sharon Middleton, Baltimore City Council Member  

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility  

Dannielle Glaros, Council Member, Prince George s County, District 3  

Chris Trumbauer, Councilman, District 6, Anne Arundel County  

David Moon, Delegate  

Andrew Platt, Delegate 

Dan K. Morhaim, Delegate  

Jeff Waldstreicher, Delegate  

Environment Maryland  

Izaak Walton League of America Maryland Chapter  

Maggie McIntosh, Maryland Delegate  

Andrew Fellows, Mayor, College Park  

Susan Lee, Senate 

Frank S. Turner, State Delegate 
  

Massachusetts

Co-op Power

Joseph Lopes, Councilor Ward, New Bedford  

Richard Elrick, Energy Coordinator, Bourne and Barnstable  

Environment Massachusetts 

Environmental League of Massachusetts 

Mass Audubon 

Alex Morse, Mayor, Holyoke 

Gail Garrett, Selectman, Mt. Washington 

Erik Yingling, Selectman, Provincetown 

Adam Wilson, Town Administrator, Aquinnah 

USGBC Massachusetts Chapter 
 

Michigan

Environment Michigan 

For Love Of Water 

Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities 

Sierra Club, Michigan Chapter 
 

Minnesota

Environment Minnesota 

Izaak Walton League of America Minnesota Chapter 

Missouri

Missouri Coalition for the Environment 
 

Montana

Earth Works Action 

Environment Montana 
 

Nebraska 

Andrew Jameton, Professor Emeritus, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center 
 

Nevada

Environment Nevada 
 

New Hampshire

Environment New Hampshire 

Green Alliance 

New Jersey 

Environment New Jersey 
 

New Mexico

Environment New Mexico  

Gail Chasey, Representative  

Javier Martinez, Representative, District 11  

Christine Trujillo, Representative, District 25  

Stephanie Garcia Richard, Representative, District 43  

Michael Padilla, Senator and Majority Whip, District 14  

Jerry Ortiz y Pino, Senator, District 12  

Daniel Ivey-Soto, Senator, District 15  

Mimi Stewart, Senator, District 17  

Benny Shendo, Jr., Senator, District 22  

Nancy Rodriguez, Senator, District 24  

Peter Wirth, Senator, District 25  

Bill Soules, Senator, District 37  

New York 

Environment New York  

Physicians for Social Responsibility, New York Chapter  

Renewable Energy Long Island 
 

North Carolina

David Gantt, Chairman, Buncombe County Commission  

Darrell Jackson, City Council Member, Kannapolis  

Clean Air Carolina 

William Jensen, Council Member, Apex  

William Fowler, Council Member, Surf City   

Bernadette Pelissier, County Commissioner, Orange County  

Environment North Carolina  

Etsil S. Mason, Mayor, Farmville  

Daniel Tuman, Mayor, North Topsail Beach  

John F. Grimes, Mayor, Siler City 

NC Conservation Network 

NC WARN  

Michael Schlink, Town Council Member, Morrisville  

Ohio

Environment Ohio 
 

Oregon

Douglas County Global Warming Coalition  

Environment Oregon 

Southern Oregon Climate Action Now  

The Environmental Center 
 

Pennsylvania 

Clean Air Council 

Northwest PA Green Economy Taskforce 

Penn Environment 
 

Rhode Island

Environment Rhode Island 
 

Texas

Alfonso “Poncho” Nevárez, Representative, District 74

Axium Solar  

Michael Osborne, Chair, Electric Utility Commission of Austin  

David Carr, Dean, Frank Phillips College 

Environment Texas 

Shelley W. Penrod, Prof. of Biology, Lone Star College – North Harris  

Sylvester Turner, Representative, House District 139  

Texas Drought Project  

Roland Gutierrez, Texas State Representative, District 119  

Jessica Farrar, Texas State Representative, District 148  

The Wind Coalition 
 

Vermont

Vermont Conservation Voters 

Virginia

Environment Virginia 

TerraScapes 
 

Washington

Erica Pickett, Anacortes City Council  

Jan Shuette, Arlington City Council 

Artisan Electric 

Conrad Lee, Council Member, Bellevue  

Mark Phillips, Council Member, City of Lake Forest Park  

Jesse Salomon, Council Member, Shoreline   

James Scott, Covington City Council  

Kathleeen Huckabay, Deputy Mayor of Sammamish  

Dan Grausz, Deputy Mayor, Mercer Island  

Jason Walker, Duvall City Council  

Diane Buckshnis, Edmonds City Council  

Nancy Lillquist, Ellensburg City Council  

Environment Washington  

Martin Moore, Federal Way City Council  

Louis Wolfom, Fife City Council  

Forecast Solar LLC 

Nigel Herbig, Kenmore City Council  

Dennis Higgins, Kent City Council Member  

Shelby Kloba, Kirkland City Council  

Joe Valenzuela, La Center City Council  

MaryLee Chamberlain, La Conner Town Council  

Barbara Tolbert, Mayor of Arlington  

Amy Walen, Mayor of Kirkland  

John Culp, Mayor of Okanogan  

Shari Winstead, Mayor of Shoreline  

Matt Larson, Mayor of Snoqualmie  

Pete Kmet, Mayor of Tumwater  

Denise McCluskley, Mayor of University Place  

John Marchione, Mayor, City of Redmond  

Itek Energy  

NW Wind and Solar 

Northwest SEED 

Puget Sound Solar 

John Palmer, Puyallup City Council  

John Hopkins, Puyallup Deputy Mayor  

Genaveve Starr, Sequim City Council  

Doris McConnell, Shoreline City Council  

Chris Roberts, Shoreline City Council  

Sierra Club, Washington Chapter  

Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company  

SunModo Corporation 

Ben Stuckart, Spokane City Council  

Lyle Katzenmeyer, Starbuck City Council  

Ryan Mello, Tacoma City Council  

Nicole Hill, Tumwater City Council  

Wisconsin

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Wisconsin Chapter  

RENEW Wisconsin 

Wisconsin Environment