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More U.S. Companies Calling for Extension of Wind Power Tax Credit by David Quilty RevModo, June 20, 2012

Microsoft and Sprint have joined forces to let Congress know that the production tax credit (PTC) for wind power should be extended.

The two companies are the latest major corporations to send letters to members of Congress requesting the extension, joining previous letters from Starbucks, Nike, Staples, and 12 others. "Eliminating the PTC will sharply increase prices for wind energy and particularly affect the many large and influential companies that are already committed to buying and using wind energy," the letter stated.

Scheduled to expire in December, the PTC is a 2.2 cent per kilowatt-hour tax credit originally implemented as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 in order to assist renewable energy producers to compete with the fossil fuel industry. Congress has already allowed it to expire three times and has extended it four times.

Since it was enacted, the PTC has helped to bring down wind energy costs by 90 percent since 1980, and these reductions have been the impetus for corporations to purchase energy generated from renewable sources. Microsoft is currently the third largest purchaser of green power in the United States and seeks to go carbon neutral by next year.

With some reports showing that the United States could see an 80 percent drop in the wind market if the PTC for renewables isn't extended, the time for contacting members of Congress is running out. And since businesses are seemingly the number one concern of our Congressional members as of late, one hopes they will listen to their constituents and extend the credit once again.

So, how long until Apple calls for an extension of the credit? After all, they already moving ahead with plans to use 100% renewable energy sources for their new datacenter in North Carolina and could surely benefit from the tax credit as well.