Cleveland Tells Wind Industry, ‘Government is Not Your Sugar Daddy’

Rep. Bobby Cleveland is submitting legislation to halt tax incentives for renewable resources. If passed, it would impact the wind and solar power industry in Oklahoma.

House Bill 2908 would repeal Senate Bill 440 which allowed the zero-emission energy facilities to collect tax credits.

“It’s time we do away with this costly tax credit,” said Cleveland. “The government is not your sugar daddy, no matter how hard the wind industry may wish. Wind companies are no longer in their infancy, and the industry is stable enough to stand on its own feet.”

Credit for electricity generated by zero-emission facilities cost Oklahoma $66,876,581 for Tax Year 2015, according to Cleveland.

“There has been plenty of talk about raising taxes on everyday Oklahomans recently, including efforts by major Oklahoma businesses to advance the cause. Before we tax our citizens to death, lawmakers must seriously consider scaling back tax credits available to billion-dollar industries,” said Cleveland. “Does big wind need those tax dollars more than our friends and neighbors? I don’t think so.”


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  1. Vernon Woods, 19 January, 2018

    Considering the tremendous damage inflicted on our local roads by the energy guys (oil, gas, wind), maybe legislation to provide compensation to the affected local governments is in order.

  2. Don, 19 January, 2018

    Sir Cleveland, please Get a grip, and get real. Get honest, level the playing field.

    “AWEA analysis shows that wind energy only received 3% of all federal energy incentives
    between 1947 and 2015, compared to 65% for fossil fuels and 21% for nuclear power”

    From Testimony of Steve Clemmer Director of Energy Research and Analysis Climate & Energy Program Union of Concerned Scientists:
    http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF03/20170329/105798/HHRG-115-IF03-Wstate-ClemmerS-20170329.pdf

  3. Mark Irwin, 19 January, 2018

    How about the oil depletion allowance?

  4. Shagbargh Hickory, 19 January, 2018

    I good with that but you’ll need to stop all subsidies and incentives for the oil industry as well. They need to pay market value for drilling on public landsalso.

  5. Jimbo, 21 January, 2018

    You cant expect them to touch the Oil industry………thats what all this grandstanding on wind is all about.

  6. castor, 22 January, 2018

    Remember, we are talking about tax credits to the wind industry. Credits are, in most case, powerful and costly incentives.

    Oil is a wasting asset, hence the reason for the oil depletion allowance. And in case you think the oil industry is singled out for favor, most hard-rock mining operations get a depletion allowance too: gold, silver, copper, bauxite, etc.

    Oh, and the issue that Rep. Cleveland addresses is a state issue, whereas the depletion allowance is a federal allowance

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