Dem: FAA energy riders are a done deal
By JOHN SICILIANO 4/6/16 4:25 PM
A top Democrat says a deal has been struck with Republicans to include the extension of several clean energy tax credits in a six-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill.
Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, announced Wednesday that the Democratic and Republican leadership have reached agreement on including the tax subsidies in the FAA bill that his committee is pulling together.
"Looks like we're going to be able to proceed without that controversy," Nelson said.
The tax breaks are for items such as like hydrogen fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps and other clean energy technologies that were left on the cutting room floor when Congress negotiated the omnibus spending bill in December. The bill included historic tax credit extensions for the wind and solar industries, while lifting the 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports.
Top Democrats say the intention in last year's negotiations was to bring up the tax incentives they didn't include in the omnibus and include them in the FAA reauthorization bill. The FAA bill expires in July.
The clean energy riders have stoked the ire of dozens of conservative groups that are lobbying to block them. At the same time, the riders are emboldening other renewable groups to push for more riders to extend other tax breaks that expire at the end of this year.
Americans for Prosperity is leading the conservative coalition of nearly three dozen groups. Chrissy Harbin, the group's deputy director of federal affairs, tells the Washington Examiner that the plan is a "sneaky" way of continuing unnecessary green subsidies. She said Wednesday's news from Nelson is an extreme disappointment.
She said the FAA bill is the only must-pass bill this year, so there is a rush to load up the tax credits, which are either expired or will expire at the end of the year.
Typically, tax credits are extended at the end of the year. But going into a lame-duck session, there won't be an opportunity to pass an end-of-year extenders package, Harbin says.
The bottom line for the coalition is for Congress to let the tax credits die. The credits were "wisely" left behind in last year's spending bill, Harbin said.
By JOHN SICILIANO 4/6/16 4:25 PM
A top Democrat says a deal has been struck with Republicans to include the extension of several clean energy tax credits in a six-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill.
Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, announced Wednesday that the Democratic and Republican leadership have reached agreement on including the tax subsidies in the FAA bill that his committee is pulling together.
"Looks like we're going to be able to proceed without that controversy," Nelson said.
The tax breaks are for items such as like hydrogen fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps and other clean energy technologies that were left on the cutting room floor when Congress negotiated the omnibus spending bill in December. The bill included historic tax credit extensions for the wind and solar industries, while lifting the 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports.
Top Democrats say the intention in last year's negotiations was to bring up the tax incentives they didn't include in the omnibus and include them in the FAA reauthorization bill. The FAA bill expires in July.
The clean energy riders have stoked the ire of dozens of conservative groups that are lobbying to block them. At the same time, the riders are emboldening other renewable groups to push for more riders to extend other tax breaks that expire at the end of this year.
Americans for Prosperity is leading the conservative coalition of nearly three dozen groups. Chrissy Harbin, the group's deputy director of federal affairs, tells the Washington Examiner that the plan is a "sneaky" way of continuing unnecessary green subsidies. She said Wednesday's news from Nelson is an extreme disappointment.
She said the FAA bill is the only must-pass bill this year, so there is a rush to load up the tax credits, which are either expired or will expire at the end of the year.
Typically, tax credits are extended at the end of the year. But going into a lame-duck session, there won't be an opportunity to pass an end-of-year extenders package, Harbin says.
The bottom line for the coalition is for Congress to let the tax credits die. The credits were "wisely" left behind in last year's spending bill, Harbin said.
