It's stuff like this that's helping to reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels, and setting America up for failure in the renewable energy race ...
In 2014 Denmark set a world record for wind power production. Specifically, Denmark produced 39.1 percent of its energy from wind farms. This puts Denmark on track to meet its 2010 goal of getting 50 percent of energy from renewable sources.
While countries like Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom are investing heavily in the renewable energies of the future the U.S. Congress continues to play political games when it comes to its energy policy.
After spending almost the entire year doing nothing on the Production Tax Credit - which is used to promote and subsidize renewable energy products - Congress finally passed a bill this past December that provides renewable energy industries a "retroactive" package of tax credits.
Here's the fun part. The tax credits lasted all of two weeks, and ended on December 31, 2014.
You can bet that members of Congress who voted for the bill will crow throughout 2015 that they passed renewable energy legislation, in spite of the fact that really didn't do anything for the renewable energy industries of America. They'll also, no doubt, accuse the sane members of Congress who refused to go along with their two week funding charade as opposing renewable energy.
What Congress did is akin to getting money to go college after you already dropped out - and two weeks before the quarter ends - and then being told you're not getting anything for the next year. Oh, and you can't use the money allocated for the year you dropped out the following academic year.
Yeah, that's how our U.S. Congress works.
For those of you yelling at the screen about how we can't afford renewable energy subsidies, or how the magic of the market works, here's a quick overview of the more than $470 billion in tax breaks that the U.S. government has pumped into the oil and gas industry. For a breakdown of how much is given away in tax breaks, by company and tax category, click here and here.
If you're interested in learning how lobbying helps maintain America's dysfunctional oil and agriculture subsidies you might want to watch the award winning documentary PRICELE$$.
- Mark
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| Aerial picture of Horns rev wind farm in Denmark. |
While countries like Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom are investing heavily in the renewable energies of the future the U.S. Congress continues to play political games when it comes to its energy policy.
After spending almost the entire year doing nothing on the Production Tax Credit - which is used to promote and subsidize renewable energy products - Congress finally passed a bill this past December that provides renewable energy industries a "retroactive" package of tax credits.
Here's the fun part. The tax credits lasted all of two weeks, and ended on December 31, 2014.
You can bet that members of Congress who voted for the bill will crow throughout 2015 that they passed renewable energy legislation, in spite of the fact that really didn't do anything for the renewable energy industries of America. They'll also, no doubt, accuse the sane members of Congress who refused to go along with their two week funding charade as opposing renewable energy.
What Congress did is akin to getting money to go college after you already dropped out - and two weeks before the quarter ends - and then being told you're not getting anything for the next year. Oh, and you can't use the money allocated for the year you dropped out the following academic year.
Yeah, that's how our U.S. Congress works.
For those of you yelling at the screen about how we can't afford renewable energy subsidies, or how the magic of the market works, here's a quick overview of the more than $470 billion in tax breaks that the U.S. government has pumped into the oil and gas industry. For a breakdown of how much is given away in tax breaks, by company and tax category, click here and here.
If you're interested in learning how lobbying helps maintain America's dysfunctional oil and agriculture subsidies you might want to watch the award winning documentary PRICELE$$.
- Mark
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