SUPPORT FOR INCENTIVES FOR UTILITY DEVELOPERS
OF CLEAN, TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
WHEREAS,
encouraging the cost-effective use of renewable energy resources has been an
important national goal since the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and
the generation of electricity from renewable energy has steadily increased its
cost-effectiveness and performance since that time; and
WHEREAS,
renewable energy contributes to fuel diversity, which benefits and mitigates
fuel price volatility by reducing dependence on natural gas, enhances national
security by reducing dependence on imported fuels, and decreases environmental
impacts; and
WHEREAS,
in light of the need to further diversify our fuel sources and meet clean air
objectives, Congress and the Administration are seeking to promote increased
production from cleaner and renewable energy resources; and
WHEREAS,
the proposed conference report to the Energy Policy Act of 2003 and S. 2095
include tax incentives for clean coal and renewable energy production, and
reauthorization of the Renewable Energy Production Incentive or REPI program;
and
WHEREAS,
historically, tax incentives for renewable and alternative energy have been
made available only to privately-owned utilities and developers, but not for
public power utilities; and
WHEREAS,
The Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) program, enacted in 1992, was
intended to provide incentives to public power systems comparable to tax
incentives that the private sector receives; and
WHEREAS,
the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (EPI)program’s
authorization has expired,
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors acknowledges the value of production
tax credit to the continued development and commercialization of renewable
energy technologies; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges
Congress and the Administration to provide incentives to all electricity
providers necessary to promote a diverse mix of domestic energy fuel sources,
including wind, solar, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal, incremental
hydropower, fuel cells, clean coal, nuclear energy and other energy sources;
and
WHEREAS,
in order to provide new generation from alternative resources, not-for-profit
public power systems need comparable incentives, such as the ability to issue
bonds at interest rates lower than tax-exempt rates through a tax credit bond,
the ability to sell tax benefits to taxpayers through a tradable tax credit, or
other mechanisms; and
WHEREAS,
public power customers, like those served by privately-owned utility, can
benefit from federal incentives to spur power production; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges
Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the REPI programs.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors 