Noem, Fellow Freshmen Demand Extension of Production Tax Credit for Wind Power

Rep. Kristi Noem obviously didn't stick around the South Dakota Republican convention long enough to learn that sustainable development is evil U.N. Marxism. She is one of 18 House freshmen urging Speaker Boehner to boost green power by bringing the Production Tax Credit for wind energy to the floor as soon as possible.

Much to Dr. Blanchard's chagrin, Rep. Noem says wind power is just great:

The wind industry has achieved tremendous results since the PTC was first enacted. The average turbine now produces 30% more electricity and that electricity costs 33% less than it did five years ago. The PTC also leverages an average of $15 billion of private investment each year while only costing the U.S. Treasury an average of $1.36 billion. There are now nearly 500 American manufacturing facilities making parts for the industry and wind turbines now contain more than 60% domestic content. The wind industry supports more than 75,000 U.S. jobs, 30,000 of which are in the manufacturing sector. Long-term pricing wind contracts help protect electricity consumers from monthly fuel spikes and keep monthly power bills stable [Rep. Kristi Noem, letter to House GOP leadership signed by 18 House freshmen, 2012.06.27].

The signers, consisting of 15 Republicans and 3 Democrats, contend that we will lose more than half of those good green jobs in the next twelve months if we don't extend the Production Tax Credit. Wow: it's nice to hear Rep. Noem talking about actual American jobs for once instead of making up fantasy numbers to pipe toxic Canadian tar sands oil to the global market.

Some minor number confusion: Kristi still can't count. Noem's press release says she "was joined by 18 House freshman [sic]"... make that double-sic. The letter bears 18 signatures, including Noem's, not in addition to Noem's. And freshman is singular; freshmen is plural.

But hey, I know bloggers who make worse mistakes. Don't let that distract you from the bipartisan enthusiasm for the PTC, cited in a press release in my inbox from the American Wind Energy Association:

• Supporters in both parties have been raising this issue since late last year as an urgent action item for Congress, including more than 100 cosponsors of HR 3307 (almost a quarter of them Republicans) and S 2201.
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau, and Edison Electric Institute are among over 400 organizations and companies endorsing the PTC extension.
• A bipartisan coalition of 23 governors led by Gov. Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) supports extending the PTC. Gov. Branstad recently wrote The Wall Street Journal on its economic benefits.
• Republican, Democratic and Independent voters broadly support wind power and its expansion.
• Highlighting the bipartisan nature of wind power was a recent dialogue between Karl Rove, former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, and Robert Gibbs, former Press Secretary and advisor to President Obama at WINDPOWER 2012 in Atlanta, Ga. As Rove stated, "You don't need moderates to get this done. You need conservative Republicans who say this means jobs to my district and a resource we've got plenty of. And you need Democrats to say this is a way to expand the range of options that we have as a country for energy."

When the global Marxists can get Karl Rove on their side, there must be no stopping Agenda 21. Or maybe here in the real world, even Republicans are recognizing that we haven't yet invested as much in renewable energy as we spent from the public purse to get oil, coal, and gas off the ground.