{"id":23212,"date":"2015-03-11T12:36:47","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T17:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=23212"},"modified":"2015-03-11T12:37:24","modified_gmt":"2015-03-11T17:37:24","slug":"oklahoma-senate-unanimously-approves-bill-limiting-wind-industry-tax-incentives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/03\/11\/oklahoma-senate-unanimously-approves-bill-limiting-wind-industry-tax-incentives\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Senate Unanimously Approves Bills Limiting Wind Industry Tax Incentives"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Becky McCray \/ Flickr<\/p>\n

A wind farm near Woodwoard and Harper Counties in northwestern Oklahoma.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday voted 45-0 to approve a pair of bills that would limit tax incentives for the wind energy industry.<\/p>

Both measures were authored by Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa. Senate Bill 498<\/a> modifies an ad-valorem tax exemption for manufacturing used by wind companies; SB 501<\/a> establishes a five-year step-down for zero emission tax credits and sets a $6 million annual cap statewide.<\/p>

The Oklahoma House\u00a0unanimously approved similar legislation<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>

The cost of wind industry tax credits has boomed along with Oklahoma’s wind industry, which is one of the biggest in the country<\/a>. In a statement, Mazzei said the cost of wind incentives could swell to $700 million over a 10-year period.<\/p>

In a February interview with StateImpact<\/a>, Mazzei, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said wind industry subsidies are a bad deal for Oklahoma taxpayers, especially when the state is facing a $600 million budget gap<\/a>.<\/p>

\u201cWe certainly can\u2019t afford these giveaways of taxpayer money anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>

Jeff Clark with the pro-industry Wind Coalition says Mazzei’s legislation, as written, is too severe.<\/p>

“The level of reductions in the current form would drive development out of the state,” he said. Clark is optimistic that Mazzei and other lawmakers, including Rep. Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville \u2014 who has written legislation concerning turbine siting<\/a> and tax credits, and is carrying Mazzei’s bills in the House \u2014 will continue to work with wind companies on finding a middle ground.<\/p>

“We’ve said from the beginning that we’re not against reasonable rules and regulations,” Clark said.<\/p>

SB 498 and SB 501 now go to the House for consideration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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