Oklahoma House Unanimously Approves Bill Reducing Wind Industry Subsidies

• Joe Wertz
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday voted 89-0 to approve proposed legislation that would significantly reduce the amount of tax incentives paid to the wind industry.

House Bill 1554 was authored by Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, who has pledged to curtail tax credits and incentives whose cost has ballooned along with Oklahoma’s booming wind industry.

From the Associated Press:

Sears said the bill in its current form would reduce by about 70 percent the amount of tax credits wind producers receive, although he acknowledged discussions with the industry are ongoing on the final amount. The credits are paid based on the amount of electricity produced by the facilities.

HB 1554 now heads to the full Senate for consideration.