Washington (Platts)--30Jan2013/117 pm EST/1817 GMT
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday blasted a critical Republican report on a popular incentive program for wind farms and solar facilities. In a letter sent to Rep. Fred Upton, (Republican-Michigan), the committee's chairman, the top Democrats on the committee claimed the report ignored the program's role in job creation, boosting US manufacturing and renewable electricity generation. "We hope this report is not a harbinger of the committee's approach to renewable energy issues in the new Congress," wrote the Democrats. Article continues below... Request a free trial of: Inside Energy Inside Energy and its companion, Inside EnergyEXTRA, bring you reporting on energy policy developments in the U.S. government and how policy decisions and implementation impact the production, delivery, and use of energy resources. Content includes oil, natural gas, electricity, coal, nuclear energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Inside Energy has covered U.S. energy policy for more than 30 years, and our team of veteran editors and reporters offers insight unsurpassed in the industry.
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday blasted a critical Republican report on a popular incentive program for wind farms and solar facilities. In a letter sent to Rep. Fred Upton, (Republican-Michigan), the committee's chairman, the top Democrats on the committee claimed the report ignored the program's role in job creation, boosting US manufacturing and renewable electricity generation. "We hope this report is not a harbinger of the committee's approach to renewable energy issues in the new Congress," wrote the Democrats.
Article continues below...
Inside Energy and its companion, Inside EnergyEXTRA, bring you reporting on energy policy developments in the U.S. government and how policy decisions and implementation impact the production, delivery, and use of energy resources. Content includes oil, natural gas, electricity, coal, nuclear energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Inside Energy has covered U.S. energy policy for more than 30 years, and our team of veteran editors and reporters offers insight unsurpassed in the industry.
The letter was signed by Rep. Henry Waxman of California, the committee's ranking member, and Rep. Diane DeGette of Colorado and Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois, both top Democrats on subcommittees. Upton last week released a report claiming that roughly 25% of the $16 billion in grants under the Section 1603 program had gone to the US operations of foreign firms, including nearly $1.8 billion to Spain's Iberdrola. But the Democrats said the report ignored the impact those firms had on the US economy. For example, while Iberdrola's parent company is headquartered in Spain, Iberdrola Renewable is a US company incorporated in Oregon with 850 full-time employees. The 1603 program, which offers up-front cash grants in lieu of year-end tax credits, was created under the $787 billion economic stimulus bill President Barack Obama signed into law in 2009.--Brian Scheid, brian_scheid@platts.com --Edited by Kevin Saville, kevin_saville@platts.com
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