Wind power advocates were down but not defeated when the Expiring Provisions, Improvements, Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act suffered a setback in the U.S. Senate earlier this year. A vote for consideration of the bill fell seven votes short of the necessary 60 to end debate and force action.
“This bipartisan idea – born on the plains and thriving across the country – is too important to fall victim to partisan games and procedural gambits. I will keep fighting to ensure our wind energy manufacturers and the middle-class families they support have the certainty they need to thrive,” Mark Udall, the senior U.S. Senator for Colorado said in a statement.
Udall is a strong supporter of wind energy in Colorado. He made 27 floor speeches in 2012 in support of the tax credits and helped to extend them until the end of 2013. He extolled the benefits of the bill, especially the Production Tax Credit the industry holds dear.
“The Production Tax Credit for wind energy is a smart investment in our economy that strengthens our energy security, supports a strong Colorado industry and creates good-paying manufacturing jobs,” he said.
P. Aiden Hunt 