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Small Wind Turbine Investment Tax Credit

Dear Small-Wind Grassroots Activists,

There are now two Small Wind Investment Tax Credit bills in Congress - one in the House (H.R. 1772), and one in the Senate (S. 673) - that would provide consumers a tax credit when purchasing small wind turbines for their homes, farms, or small businesses.

To become law, these bills must show a broad range of support from Members of Congress. Having your members of Congress add their names to these bills as co-sponsors is one of the best ways to build this support.

Ways you can help get co-sponsors:

• Call or e-mail your Senators? offices and urge them to co-sponsor Senate bill S. 673, the "Rural Wind Energy Development Act," introduced by Senators Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Gordon Smith (R-OR).
• Call or e-mail your Representative?s office and request that they co-sponsor House bill H.R. 1772 (identical to the Senate bill), introduced by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Tom Cole (R-OK).
  • You can do this easily online at: http://capwiz.com/windenergy/home/

Please note that the following Congressmen do not need to be asked to co-sponsor these bills because they already have. However, it always helps to show them your appreciation and also that this bill should continue to be a priority for them.

Members already sponsoring the small turbine Investment Tax Credit bills (as of 4/11/07):

Senators (S. 673), Representatives (House) (H.R. 1772)

• Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
• Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR)
• Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
• Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
• Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)
• Rep. Conaway, Mike (R-TX)
• Rep. Gillmor, Paul (R-OH)
• Rep. Hall, John (D-NY)
• Rep. Lucas, Frank (R-OK)
• Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus (R-MI)
• Rep. McDermott, Jim (D-WA)
• Rep. McMorris Rogers, Cathy (R-WA)
• Rep. Renzi, Rick (R-AZ)
• Rep. Udall, Mark (D-CO)
• Rep. Waxman, Henry (D-CA)

Other ideas for advocating small-wind legislation:

• Sign up for your Senators' and Representative's e-mail lists to keep up-to-date on events such as town hall meetings near your home. This is a great way to express your position on S. 673 and H.R. 1772 in person. Visit www.congress.org to find out who your Congressmen are and to link to their sites.
  
  
• If you have a business involving small wind turbines, or have a turbine installed on your property?
  • Invite your Congressman or Senators to tour your facility/property
  • Post a link on your company (or personal) Web site to AWEA's Small-Wind Action Alert Web page: http://capwiz.com/windenergy/home/.
  
  
• Learn talking points for this bill by reading our 1-page small wind fact sheet at http://www.awea.org/legislative/pdf/Small_Wind_Fact_Sheet.pdf.
  
  
• If you are a member of an organization, business, or advocacy group, consider sending your own Action Alert to your fellow members.
  
  
• Request a hard copy of AWEA's Advocacy Guide - a complete instructional guide for those interested in advocating wind energy legislation.  Simply reply to this e-mail and ask for a copy. Supplies are limited.
  
  
• Plug in to AWEA's Legislative Grassroots network by signing up at http://www.awea.org/legislative/grassroots_activities.html.
  
  
• Check the progress on this bill, and the responsiveness of your Congressmen, by searching for bill numbers 'S. 673' and 'H.R. 1772' at http://thomas.loc.gov.
  
  

What Progress Has Been Made?:

• In addition to the four original co-sponsors of the Senate bill (S. 673), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has also joined in support (see table above).
  
  
• The House bill (H.R. 1772) was introduced just recently and has a solid head-start with 12 co-sponsors.
  
  
• AWEA's Legislative Team is communicating with key Congressional offices about these bills, and has been hearing from them that many of you have already contacted their offices regarding this legislation - a very nice way to start a meeting.
  
  

Background Information on This Legislation:

The American Wind Energy Association has been working closely with Congress on bills S. 673 and H.R. 1772 that, if passed, would provide a tax credit of $1500 per kilowatt of capacity for small wind systems. The bill also calls for 3-year accelerated depreciation and a credit carry-over for a customer unable to take advantage of the entire credit within a one-year period.

There has been no federal support for small wind systems since 1985.  Meanwhile, residential solar systems, which serve the same market as small wind, currently receive a 30% investment tax credit.

The federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) applies only to large utility-scale wind projects, not to individuals who want to install their own wind systems for on-site power. Federal support would help broaden the small-wind industry on a national scale.

For more information on small wind, see www.awea.org/smallwind/

Many thanks,

Ron Stimmel
Small-Wind Advocate
American Wind Energy Association
1101 14th St. Nw, 12th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
Ph: (202) 383-2500