[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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