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Wind industry's future in question as tax credit nears end

USA Today -- PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – For the past 30 years, the windmills of the San Gorgonio Pass in Southern California's low desert have spun out a living history of the wind industry's increasingly efficient and skyscraping abilities to turn the region's brisk breezes into electricity.

Today, vintage 65-kilowatt machines from the early 1980s — blades still turning on spindly, lattice-work towers — bump up against 3-megawatt giants topping out at more than 400 feet.

The desert-landscaped area off Interstate 10 that greets visitors driving from Los Angeles to Palm Springs is also dotted with rows of towers now bare and bladeless — the sign of a wind farm no longer in operation but not yet replaced.

And they may not be.

The end of a key federal tax incentive for the wind industry could put

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Submitted May 13, 2012 By: aservant

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ltbombb Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,779 Points:568,270 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Jun 11, 2012 8:17:48 AM Ignore ltbombb Report Abuse I can't really imagine they make enough power to be cost effective.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,632 Points:1,610,495 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 18, 2012 5:46:22 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse energy is not cheap, despite the attitude by many Americans. And if we want a lower energy dependency, alternative energy sources need to be supported. Pig Oil STILL gets subsidies after a century. Why should other energy sources go w/out? Either cut Pig Oil's subsidy monopoly or give all some.
Ray Veteran Author Toronto Posts:324 Points:31,860 Joined:Dec 2001	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 8:50:13 PM Ignore Ray Report Abuse Wind power hasn't needed the army to invade someone's land to install, like oil energy does, so it's really not subsidized very much at all (wars against native people notwithstanding). What else is there, that doesn't have huge external costs?
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,008 Points:599,685 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 1:37:05 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Thank you for posting.
GasHunterIA All-Star Author Iowa Posts:794 Points:487,730 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 6:55:49 AM Ignore GasHunterIA Report Abuse Who prices it? Who ever does, inflates the price. This is free energy, unless there is nothing free.
clermont40miles Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:10,583 Points:1,773,845 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 4:36:26 AM Ignore clermont40miles Report Abuse Well written and well stated jrsva... (Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:07:34 AM)
djgunrunner Champion Author Salt Lake City Posts:10,104 Points:2,349,580 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 3:30:07 AM Ignore djgunrunner Report Abuse The only wind power that is guaranteed is the hot air around Washington DC.
TRYWI All-Star Author Appleton Posts:898 Points:282,150 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 1:43:50 AM Ignore TRYWI Report Abuse Your Canary In the Room.
OilOnTheCheap Champion Author Ventura Posts:2,108 Points:451,360 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:34:54 AM Ignore OilOnTheCheap Report Abuse Wind power is not viable yet to stand without subsidies.
mageetp Champion Author British Columbia Posts:3,215 Points:627,685 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:16:14 AM Ignore mageetp Report Abuse Should be able to support themselves.
300kmiles All-Star Author Orange County Posts:529 Points:416,020 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:11:33 AM Ignore 300kmiles Report Abuse ...Better wind then corn...
aquarinut Champion Author British Columbia Posts:1,628 Points:436,855 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:07:54 AM Ignore aquarinut Report Abuse Wind has had its chance, time to see if it can stand on its own in a free market!
jrsva Champion Author Virginia Posts:9,862 Points:1,614,200 Joined:Jan 2006	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:07:34 AM Ignore jrsva Report Abuse Wind produces small amounts of unreliable, low quality electricity. Wind turbines must have continuous backup from base-load generation (coal, nuke, etc), which can take over when the wind changes. Wind farms are really tax farms, sowing the fertile ground of government subsidy and tax preference to harvest windfall (literally) profits at the expense of taxpayers and consumers of electricity. The jobs benefit is also vastly overstated. Wind (tax) farms create some jobs during construction but only a few maintenance jobs in the longer term. The production tax credit should NOT be extended.
METEOR49 Champion Author Ontario Posts:2,177 Points:456,200 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:06:33 AM Ignore METEOR49 Report Abuse not viable.
jetskijerry Champion Author North Carolina Posts:3,906 Points:774,220 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:05:12 AM Ignore jetskijerry Report Abuse Its time has passed.
PrinceLH Champion Author Ontario Posts:2,702 Points:539,995 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:04:29 AM Ignore PrinceLH Report Abuse No more subsidies!
pgerassi Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:10,906 Points:2,133,555 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:01:53 AM Ignore pgerassi Report Abuse Drop the subsidy.
nwsynthetics Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,014 Points:347,025 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:01:36 AM Ignore nwsynthetics Report Abuse I was in Palm Desert back in March. I couldn't believe all the wind machines. Ugly. Majority of them, not even working. Eyesore.
jem069 Champion Author Detroit Posts:2,548 Points:689,030 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: May 14, 2012 12:01:19 AM Ignore jem069 Report Abuse ok
jjfisher All-Star Author Toledo Posts:547 Points:749,460 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:59:48 PM Ignore jjfisher Report Abuse ok
tidalwave3 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:1,305 Points:1,464,545 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:59:03 PM Ignore tidalwave3 Report Abuse And
kcboy Champion Author Utah Posts:3,978 Points:1,509,750 Joined:Jun 2005	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:57:10 PM Ignore kcboy Report Abuse Interesting.
aggietim Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:1,756 Points:694,075 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:56:17 PM Ignore aggietim Report Abuse hmm
Z51Corvette Champion Author Austin Posts:8,490 Points:1,672,170 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:56:14 PM Ignore Z51Corvette Report Abuse Laynetc.... Hahahahaha! Wish we could harness that hot air there! They should look at bonds... To rebuild and update, not subsidies!
Jmac2008 Champion Author Missouri Posts:2,284 Points:883,090 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:54:28 PM Ignore Jmac2008 Report Abuse ok
miiike572 All-Star Author Phoenix Posts:798 Points:526,665 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:54:07 PM Ignore miiike572 Report Abuse I'm sure Barry will renew it. He to is full of air and the brown stuff that exits the rear.
drobbbb Champion Author Maryland Posts:3,485 Points:813,435 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:54:02 PM Ignore drobbbb Report Abuse ok
rf6480 Champion Author Miami Posts:1,538 Points:548,760 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:53:59 PM Ignore rf6480 Report Abuse every little bit helps
crashintuc34 Champion Author Tucson Posts:4,057 Points:812,865 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:50:38 PM Ignore crashintuc34 Report Abuse The free market should determine which, if any, "green" form of energy survive and NOT government subsidies.
laynetc Champion Author Washington Posts:1,237 Points:242,955 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:49:55 PM Ignore laynetc Report Abuse I all for wind -- but they need to do this kind of thing in windy places (WA DC for example).
saleboss Champion Author Phoenix Posts:3,929 Points:1,177,875 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:49:29 PM Ignore saleboss Report Abuse We need more of these in sustainable areas!
suzmar Champion Author Texas Posts:2,212 Points:873,340 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:48:14 PM Ignore suzmar Report Abuse We definitely need to end subsidies for so called "green" energy. It is not economically feasible and it's not even environmentally sound policy. Do people ever stop and think about the huge transmission lines that have to be built to carry the electricity from the sparsely populated rural areas where it is generated to the metropolitan areas where it is needed?
Ayeghoti Champion Author Michigan Posts:2,445 Points:348,825 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:47:05 PM Ignore Ayeghoti Report Abuse .
speedys Champion Author Utah Posts:7,025 Points:2,560,795 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:46:17 PM Ignore speedys Report Abuse I think it has always been in question.
tco9436 Champion Author Connecticut Posts:1,782 Points:723,475 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:46:13 PM Ignore tco9436 Report Abuse ok
radiorumor Champion Author Texas Posts:2,817 Points:754,835 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:45:07 PM Ignore radiorumor Report Abuse K
lildeno Veteran Author Chicago Posts:353 Points:137,275 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:43:58 PM Ignore lildeno Report Abuse Stop oil subsidies too.
crusty1 All-Star Author Chicago Posts:659 Points:412,755 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:41:56 PM Ignore crusty1 Report Abuse Don't they know all prevailing winds now come from Washington DC and blow in all directions simultaneously.
SparkieMi Champion Author Kalamazoo Posts:3,271 Points:590,335 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:31:17 PM Ignore SparkieMi Report Abuse I agree with milespergallon!!!
waynemustang Champion Author Indiana Posts:6,382 Points:1,666,760 Joined:Nov 2006	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:31:05 PM Ignore waynemustang Report Abuse End the tax credits and subsidies. Greedy Greenies need to pay for their own energy and quit mooching off others.
sydb7 Champion Author Atlanta Posts:3,561 Points:1,919,985 Joined:Mar 2003	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:30:46 PM Ignore sydb7 Report Abuse how can they lose? after the initial capital outlay, it is essentially free energy!
milespergallon Champion Author Illinois Posts:9,754 Points:1,910,310 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:22:18 PM Ignore milespergallon Report Abuse Excuse the pun but it looks like they are looking for an additional WIND fall with the tax credit. Their profits are there even without the tax credit
papa56NC All-Star Author North Carolina Posts:725 Points:142,760 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:18:13 PM Ignore papa56NC Report Abuse I just can't believe this.
DozenSpeed Champion Author St. Louis Posts:1,293 Points:391,550 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:18:07 PM Ignore DozenSpeed Report Abuse Aw, no more tax cwedits?
SUPERQUACK Champion Author Sacramento Posts:6,131 Points:1,912,805 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:17:21 PM Ignore SUPERQUACK Report Abuse WIND WIND WIND IS THIS POLITIC WIND OR WHWAT////>>>???
Wierbe Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:3,757 Points:1,120,090 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:16:39 PM Ignore Wierbe Report Abuse Clean up your mess, industry, without taxpayer money. Did you share your profits with us?
neverathome Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:14,765 Points:2,834,755 Joined:Jul 2001	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:13:47 PM Ignore neverathome Report Abuse key words "not viable without subsidies" no shit
justmedc Veteran Author Michigan Posts:382 Points:174,045 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:11:39 PM Ignore justmedc Report Abuse rusty
kosciak Champion Author Hartford Posts:1,106 Points:535,175 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:08:31 PM Ignore kosciak Report Abuse tax them
kbierley Champion Author Dayton Posts:10,730 Points:1,415,690 Joined:Nov 2003	Message Posted: May 13, 2012 11:06:54 PM Ignore kbierley Report Abuse Well Blow me down...