[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16545-16546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       WIND PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this 
morning, as I have for many mornings, to talk about the wind energy 
industry and the importance of tax credits. And this is another job I 
want to see us get done as soon as possible--to extend the wind 
production tax credit. It expires in less than a month.
  This tax credit has been vital for job creation and for our American 
manufacturing. Literally, the PTC--the production tax credit--has 
encouraged the creation of tens of thousands of good-paying middle-
class jobs, and it has led to millions in capital investment in States 
such as Colorado. In fact, 48 States have a wind energy industry 
presence. Along with the capital investments, what we have seen is the 
development of thousands of megawatts of clean renewable wind power. 
And if we let this PTC expire, the stakes are very high.
  I have come to the floor 24 times to speak to the importance of the 
PTC and the benefits it provides for families and businesses in every 
State across the Nation. I am here because the wind PTC is a critical 
investment in and a downpayment toward a clean energy future--a future 
at risk if we don't act and act soon. It is not too late to act. It 
truly isn't. And to give us more motivation, to point out what is at 
risk, I wish to focus today on the State of Minnesota and direct my 
remarks to their wind energy industry.
  Minnesota, as we know, is the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Although 
Minnesota's namesake may be its water, it has become a leader in the 
wind energy industry and a compelling example of the positive effects 
the PTC can have in a State. Let me share some numbers to make the 
point.
  As of 2011, Minnesota ranks fifth nationally for the most installed 
wind capacity, with over 2,700 megawatts, and it trails only Illinois, 
Iowa, California, and Texas. You can see all the blue areas on the map. 
Those are areas in which there is installed wind operations. In fact, 
wind energy meets 12.7--I will round that up to 13 percent of the 
State's energy needs. This ranks fourth among all States. That means 
they are powering through the wind energy industry the equivalent of 
770,000 Minnesota homes, and that number is going up. It is growing.
  We know through our two colleagues from Minnesota that Minnesotans 
take pride in everything having to do with Minnesota, and well they 
should. And they are taking pride in being in the forefront of wind 
power growth. Since 2003 Minnesotans have purchased 1 billion kilowatt 
hours of energy through Windsource, which is Minnesota's voluntary 
green power program. It means over 20,000 residents and about 240 
businesses pay a little extra on their electric bill to support wind 
energy and show their commitment to a clean energy economy. I know this 
works because we have a similar program in Colorado. Excel also has a 
presence in Colorado, and they offer Windsource to Coloradans.
  Now, Minnesota's prominence as a wind power State has been aided by 
the fact that it also has a successful wind manufacturing industry, and 
those manufacturing facilities in Minnesota have created hundreds of 
good-paying jobs and new investments. Federal incentives, including the 
PTC, have played a crucial role in making Minnesota the wind leader it 
is today.
  If that isn't enough, I want to highlight further the substantial 
benefits this crucial industry has had on Minnesota.
  No. 1, the wind industry accounts for 3,000 good-paying jobs for 
hard-working Minnesotans, including jobs at the State's 16 wind 
manufacturing facilities. You can see all these green circles, and 
those green circles are where those manufacturing facilities are 
located. The workers at these plants and the facilities themselves help 
supply and maintain wind projects that contribute $7.6 million annually 
in property taxes. Those projects, in fact, provide local communities 
with funds to help improve schools, roads, and all the other crucial 
services local governments provide.
  Furthermore, Minnesota's strong manufacturing industry has supported 
rapid growth in the wind capacity of the State. Let me share those 
numbers with you. In 2011 the State added 542 megawatts of wind power 
capacity, the fourth-most of any State. So extending the PTC is crucial 
to continuing Minnesota's growth in wind energy and making progress 
toward a clean energy economy. In fact, the Minnesota utility, Northern 
States Power, will have close to 1,900 megawatts of wind in their 
energy portfolio by the end of 2012. And listen to this: In 2011 the 
utility got more electricity from wind than it did from natural gas.
  I know many of us understand what the future could hold, based on 
what experts are telling us, and we know that wind and natural gas will 
be partners going forward.
  There is a synergy between wind and natural gas. This stands out as 
an important milestone for Northern States Power. This company's 
investment in wind energy has helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 
an estimated 3.1 million tons. So the leadership of companies such as 
Northern States Power demonstrates that when we invest in clean energy, 
we are creating jobs and strengthening our energy security at the same 
time.
  I want to close with a couple of comments more broadly. Minnesota is 
not alone in its success, but these gains and the thousands of jobs 
that the PTC supports are at risk if we don't act.

[[Page 16546]]

During the summer and the fall work period, we saw the effects of not 
extending the production tax credit. Companies such as Vestas in 
Colorado announced layoffs and pulled back capital investments.
  It is pretty simple. Production tax credit equals jobs. We need to 
pass it as soon as possible. Enough is enough. If we don't extend it, 
we are going to see a very significant continuation of these job 
losses.
  So let's find a way forward. Let's work together. Let's extend the 
PTC. The longer this extension is delayed, the quicker success stories 
from States such as Colorado and Minnesota could disappear. We simply 
cannot let this happen. Let's extend the PTC as soon as possible.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri.

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