[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 40 (Monday, March 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1572-S1573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY TAX EXTENDERS
Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to
support an amendment that will be coming up tomorrow for a vote--a very
important amendment for the economy. It is my amendment No. 1812 that
would stop a tax increase on American businesses that are creating
clean energy jobs by extending the energy tax cuts. These energy tax
credits have been so important to stimulating the diversity of
opportunity for us in terms of energy sources, and things are beginning
to move. It would be such an error to stop or slow this down at this
point.
We have right now over 26 different national organizations that have
endorsed this, and more are coming, but let me just mention a few. The
National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
the American Wind Energy Association, the Solar Energy Association, the
Alliance for Clean Energy, Biotech Industry Association, Renewable
Fuels--it goes on and on. A number of folks understand that this means
jobs, including the United Steel Workers, as well as the Propane Gas
Association, the National Electric Manufacturers, the National Wildlife
Association, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters. The
list goes on and on. This has broad bipartisan support, including
industry workers and those who care very much from an environmental
standpoint about what is happening to our country. All have come
together to support this amendment to stop a tax increase on our
businesses that are creating jobs through clean energy technologies.
All across the country businesses big and small are creating jobs and
bringing manufacturing jobs back to America, building the technology
that is powering our future. We all understand that part of the next
round in terms of growing a strong economy really is around energy--all
sources of energy. I am a let's-do-it-all person, but we have to make
sure we have energy choices and opportunities for those businesses to
grow.
We have entrepreneurs inventing new technology, building plants,
hiring workers, producing cutting-edge new products that save consumers
money and, importantly, reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Especially now, when gas prices are going through the roof--and believe
me, as I drive around Michigan looking at the gas pumps, it is
outrageous what is happening right now--when families are struggling
more than ever to fill their tanks, we shouldn't be raising taxes on
the innovators and the job creators who are helping to lower American
families' energy bills, and that is what the vote tomorrow is about.
My amendment does a number of things. It extends current policy that
puts in place this new ability to create jobs, energy, get us off the
floor and going. It extends this extremely successful advanced energy
manufacturing tax credit that has been called 48C. This is something I
was proud to author, working with our chairman of the Energy Committee,
Senator Bingaman. We have 43 States where businesses have been able to
get a 30-percent tax cut for companies that expand, reequip, and build
new plants in the United States to produce clean energy technology.
I want to see ``Made in America'' again, and I know the Presiding
Officer does too. This tax cut is what is helping to make that happen.
In Michigan, a number of innovative companies were able to use this
tax cut to create jobs, building amazing new products. Here are just a
few examples. I was just with the Dow CEO today, someone who is so
focused on sustainability and creating energy alternatives. Dow is
building solar shingles, among other things, along with new advanced
battery technologies.
But the solar shingles are really something to see. They are called
the ``Power Shingle.'' You put them on your roof just like regular
shingles. You roll it out and install it just like regular shingles,
and they generate electricity for your home or business.
These are new technologies that are creating opportunities for
suppliers and small businesses all around the Midland, Saginaw, and Bay
City area in Michigan.
Ventower Industries builds huge towers for wind turbines. They just
opened their plant down in the southeastern part of Michigan, in
Monroe, MI. They expect to build as many as 250 wind turbine towers--
the big towers--every year.
On the west side of the State, Energetx Composites used to
manufacture luxury yachts. They have turned their facility and their
big bays that made those yachts--thanks to the 48C manufacturing tax
cut--into a facility that is now producing wind turbine blades and
other advanced materials.
My amendment also extends the tax cut for companies that produce
energy-efficient appliances; grants in lieu of tax credits; tax cuts
for companies that install charging stations for our new, great
electric vehicles; tax cuts for companies producing the next generation
of cellulosic biofuels, and much more.
It also extends the extremely important production tax credit, this
tax cut for wind energy, which supports businesses and utilities that
produce electricity from wind.
There are more than 8 million households in the United States that
rely on wind energy for their electricity. In South Dakota and Iowa
more than 20 percent of their electricity is generated by wind.
Nationwide more than a half million jobs are related to wind energy
production so far. In my State of Michigan alone there are 31
facilities manufacturing components for wind energy and 6 more in the
works. I might just add, one of those great big wind turbines has 8,000
parts, and we
[[Page S1573]]
can manufacture every single one of those in Michigan.
When I look at the opportunities around new clean energy
manufacturing, I see jobs in every single part for wind, for solar, for
electric vehicles. Any of the areas around clean energy creates
thousands of jobs.
It is about the future. Now is not the time to raise taxes on these
companies. If we do not extend these tax cuts, that is exactly what is
going to happen.
Our economy is slowly coming back, as we know, and manufacturing and
clean energy business owners have been leading the way. There are
nearly 2.7 million people whose jobs depend on this new part of our
economy--the clean energy economy. These are good jobs. This is part of
moving our country forward so we can compete successfully in the global
economy and keep jobs here.
Right now we are in a race with China and Germany and other countries
that want to lead the world in clean energy production. They have made
clean energy manufacturing a top priority in their tax policy, in their
investment strategy. We know, in fact, in China alone they are spending
hundreds of millions of dollars every single day trying to beat us in
the clean energy production business.
We should not turn our back on the American businesses that are
fighting to compete with countries such as China. We should not turn
our back on the millions of people whose jobs depend on the strength of
these businesses. We should not turn our back on the opportunity to
truly diversify our energy sources so we can get off foreign oil and
not have to worry about what that price sign is at the pump.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join together on this amendment, to
support it tomorrow, to provide certainty for our businesses and our
job creators. This has wide backing from business, from labor
organizations, from the environmental and clean energy community. It is
a chance to come together and create some certainty for a very
important and exciting new part of our economy that is critical for us
as we climb out of this recession and create jobs for our American
citizens.
Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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