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Coalition Calls for Extending Energy Tax Incentives
NAHB Executive Vice President and CEO Jerry Howard joined leaders from environmental and renewable energy advocacy groups at a Washington, D.C. press conference last week to call on Congress to extend the energy tax credit programs that expire at the end of this year.
The Clean Energy NOW coalition, sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association, includes 200 organizations asking for congressional action to extend the tax credits before the end of the September legislative session.
The Senate Finance Committee has agreed to an $18 billion package containing the tax incentives, and the full Senate is expected to vote on the measure within the next several days.
Howard emphasized the importance of extending the so-called “45L” provision, which gives home builders a tax credit of $2,000 per home when specific energy efficiency measures are included.
“Home buyers are asking for energy efficiency, and our members build homes that are significantly more energy-efficient than those of a generation ago,” Howard said. “But in today’s economic climate, home builders need incentives to spur them to even more action — to put their money where their hearts are.”
Other speakers emphasized the importance of renewable energy tax credits, which spur more wind and solar power production and provide new “green” jobs. “Today, the wind industry is experiencing record growth, and hiring new workers every day,” said Randall Swisher, AWEA’s executive director.
Failure to promptly extend the renewable energy tax incentives puts at risk 116,000 jobs in the wind and solar industries and more than $19 billion in clean energy investment, he said.
In addition to an economic boost, extending the tax credits would offer environmental benefits, speakers at the press conference noted. “We can't afford to wait for the next President and new Congress to renew the tax credits for wind and solar power and energy efficiency,” said Margie Alt, executive director of Environment America.
“It’s a false choice” to say business interests are more or less important than environmental concerns, she said. “America is at an energy crossroads right now, and the only path we can take is toward a clean energy future.”
For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
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