It's time for wind power to stand or fall on its own

After two decades of generosity, wind power subsidies should be allowed to expire at the end of the year

Wind turbines
(Image credit: (AP Photo/LM Otero))

Federal subsidies for wind energy are set to expire at the end of the year. Again.

Since 1992, the Production Tax Credit (PTC) has offered generous federal subsidies to wind generators. Under the policy, wind generators are eligible for 2.3 cents in taxpayer subsidies for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of wind electricity generated. That's nearly a third of the total retail price of electricity for industrial customers.

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Josiah Neeley is a Policy Analyst for the Armstrong Center for Energy and the Environment at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.