The study estimates that wind farms built in 2007 supported by the production tax credit carry a net present value benefit to the U.S. Treasury of $250 million.

"Congress is debating how to pay for the wind tax credits perhaps without realizing that, over time, wind farms pump more money into the U.S. Treasury and state and local coffers than they take out," said Kevin Walsh, managing director of renewable energy at GE Energy Financial Services. "Our study shows that the wind farms more than pay for themselves through existing tax revenues, so it´s time to renew the incentives immediately."

The production tax credit for wind -- as well as similar incentives for solar and other renewable energy sources -- has expired three times in the past nine years, each time causing a 76- to 90-percent drop in installed capacity from the previous year, Walsh said. The most recent attempt to renew the incentive failed earlier this month in a U.S. Senate vote that centered on how to offset the cost of the production tax credit with tax revenues.

In addition to federal tax revenues, the wind projects generate about $6 million per year in local property taxes, $15 million annually in state income taxes on wages and profits during construction, and $1.5 million per year in taxes while operating, according to the GE study.

GE Energy Financial Services invests in businesses including those engaged in wind, solar, biomass and geothermal projects. It is a subsidiary of GE.

Contact Waste News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at (330) 865-6172 or

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