Energy Independence:
A Roadmap to Responsibly End Renewable Subsidies
Dear [Senator / Representative] ____________,
Allowing the current renewable energy subsidies to expire is tantamount to pushing the industry (and its jobs)
off a cliff.
Similarly, giving the renewable industry the same incentive year after year is creating an addict.
Don’t create an addict, and don’t push the industry off a cliff. Use the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act
to lead the renewable industry down the hill to energy independence.
The Wind Industry is responsible for more than 4% of all power generated in the US. American wind turbines
currently produce more electricity than solar, biomass, and geothermal combined. At the current growth rates,
in the next 5 years wind power will pass hydropower and could pass nuclear power in installed capacity. Wind is
not the complete solution to American Energy Independence, but it is a large part of it.
My loyalty is to the wind industry as a whole. I, like thousands and thousands of other skilled workers in the
wind industry, have lived the ups and downs created by the cycle of expiring federal tax incentives. We, as an
industry, are trying to become self-sufficient despite the politically created incentive based roller coaster. This
short term cyclic approach has not worked, and it will never work. Neither will the wind industry’s approach of
continuing to ask for the same incentives year, after year, after year. We, as an industry, must do better each
year. As one of the few individuals who understands the entire industry, I can tell you confidently, we can do
better.
The wind industry is less than 5 years from being able to compete without incentives. But, we need a realistic
timetable, and we need the certainty required to justify the cost lowering investments. No industry can survive a
30% cost increase in one year. And even if we could, no investor will make an investment next year that was
30% better this year. That simply is not now business is done in the US.
If the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) are allowed to expire this year a significant
amount of Americans will lose their jobs.
Companies that are currently growing will be destroyed.
I will lose my company.
The wind industry will be set back years.
Making an industry 30% less profitable in one year is equivalent to running us off a cliff.
Ignore the wind lobbyists, do not give us what we want, give us what we need. Give us a firm timetable and
demand that we do better. In return we will give America subsidy free clean energy.
www.oneenergywind.com
Call it good election year politics, call it sound fiscal policy, call it an ultimatum to the green industry or just
simply call it what I call it: genuine leadership.
Give the wind industry, and for that matter all of the energy industries, 5 years to drive our costs down, increase
our efficiencies, wean off all of the incentives, and become the self-sufficient industry that we must be.
Lead us down a hill; do not run us off a cliff.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to help you. I would be happy to discuss this in
person at your office, my office, my site, or anywhere else you can make the time.
Very Respectfully,
Jereme Kent
General Manager
C: 419.905.5274
jeremekent@oneenergyllc.com
www.oneenergywind.com
Timetable to Energy Independence
Extend the Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Projects complete in 2013
Projects complete in 2014
Projects complete in 2015
Projects complete in 2016
Projects complete in 2017
Projects complete in 2018
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
Extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC)
Projects complete in 2013
Projects complete in 2014
Projects complete in 2015
Projects complete in 2016
Projects complete in 2017
Projects complete in 2018
10 year term
8 year term
6 year term
4 year term
2 year term
1 year term
www.oneenergywind.com