JEFERSON CITY, Mo. - The trade group the American Wind Energy Association says the fiscal cliff deal is saving thousands of clean energy jobs in Missouri and around the nation. That's because the deal reinstated the wind energy tax credit that expired at the end of the year.

Gene Cobb is relieved. The president of UAW local 2379, he works at the ABB plant in Jefferson City.

"Underneath every one of those big towers with the big propeller on the top, there's a transformer that sits at the base of those things. We build those transformers, so it's a big deal for us. It's going to create more jobs down the road."

Besides transformers, a dozen plants in Missouri produce all kinds of parts, such as carbon fiber for the blades, ball bearings, lubrication systems and brakes for wind turbines. According to the association, Missouri has tripled its wind installations since 2009, powering more than 100,000 homes with clean energy.

Cobb says they've been producing wind energy transformers at the ABB plant since 1990 and the technology keeps improving.

"Technology gets better and better and better. It's a whole different world than what we made in 1990. I'm excited about it. I really am. We've got to do things differently than what we're doing right now. The whole world does."

John Hickey, director of the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club, agrees. He says the wind energy tax credit, which could expire again, is just a drop in the bucket compared to all the subsidies dirty energy has received over the years.

"The federal government subsidizes coal and oil. Those subsidies don't have sunsets; they don't have one-year sunsets or two-year sunsets so that they're debated frequently. They are permanent."

A recent analysis by DBL investors found that average federal support for the oil and gas industry has been nearly $5 billion a year, compared to just over one-third of a billion dollars for renewable energy, which creates no carbon dioxide pollution.

More information is available at www.awea.org, www.dblinvestors.com and at http://www.missouri.sierraclub.org.




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Minnesota is seeing a flurry of utility rate hikes either being considered or taking effect.

Those who support renewable energy warn there's some misleading information in the public sphere about what is behind the activity.

Xcel Energy has a pending rate hike before state regulators. If approved, it would boost electricity rates by 21% over three years. Minnesota Power also proposes a substantial increase.

Some policy groups opposed to renewable energy have launched campaigns suggesting the plans are solely caused by wind and solar projects.

Isabel Ricker, senior manager for clean electricity at Fresh Energy, countered it does not tell the whole story, noting there is aging infrastructure to be updated.

"The fundamentals of our electricity system; the poles, the wires, some of the larger equipment at substations," Ricker outlined.

Xcel Energy acknowledged upgrades would help the utility better transition to clean energy. And Fresh Energy contended a more modern system would make it easier for Minnesota to rely on such sources, also arguing they are still a less-expensive investment than traditional power plants.

Both utilities won approval for smaller, interim hikes late last year.

Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Minnesota, pointed out while her group is fighting some rate hikes, utilities do see the need for investments in energy sources more economically viable in the long run.

"The sooner that utilities can move off of that old power generation, the more money that they are actually going to save for their customers," Levenson-Falk asserted.

Investment banking firm Lazard said wind and solar costs have declined by at least 70% over the past decade. As for rate hikes, CUB noted other factors, such as demand changes during COVID affecting utility revenue.

Fresh Energy emphasized there are still false claims being floated about the reliability of wind and solar.

Ricker stated in the Midwest, resources are managed in ways allowing them to function at a high-level in the winter.

"Wind turbines here are outfitted with winterizing equipment to ensure that they don't freeze, and they can operate at cold temperatures," Ricker stressed.

Ricker acknowledged other options, such as geothermal generators, will likely be needed to develop a robust renewable-energy system. Meanwhile, both groups say regulators traditionally try to keep rate hikes on the lower end, so customers are not paying for anything deemed unnecessary.

Iowa's tax credit for installing solar-energy systems is no longer in place, but lawmakers still face pressure to provide payments to those who were on a waiting list.

The credit was allowed to expire at the end of 2021 - and with the money set aside for residential installments already spent, those who applied but hadn't been paid were out of luck.

The Iowa Department of Revenue says more than 1,400 applications were ultimately denied. But Nick Summers - policy organizing assistant with the Center for Rural Affairs - said these property owners each made a substantial investment, hoping it would be offset by the credit.

"The state's failing to uphold its side of the deal," said Summers. "And we know the state has the means to pay this out, because the State of Iowa is sitting on a $1.2 billion surplus."

That surplus estimate was issued in the fall, and larger figures are now being floated as the legislative session gets underway.

The credit for installing a residential solar system averaged $3,200, with the average installation cost at more than $25,000. During debate about extending the credit, Republican lawmakers suggested it didn't align with need to implement broader tax relief.

Slater resident Lee Tesdell had received credits for solar-power installations on his farm, although he had to go to court to secure the second reimbursement. He called cutting off payments "shortsighted," noting that gains in renewable energy can't come only from large wind and solar farms.

"It seems to me that the state would be wise to encourage the distributed type," said Tesdell, "so that individuals can be manufacturing some of their own electricity at home."

He said combined with federal credits, the Iowa reimbursements covered a significant portion of his investments.

Meanwhile, the state says businesses on the waiting list will still get their credits, but no new projects can be added.

In her 2022 State of the State address, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul set new goals for electrifying the school bus fleets in the state.

Clean-energy advocates are hailing the move as a win for climate action. The governor has proposed new school bus purchases be zero-emission vehicles by 2027, and all school buses be emission-free by 2035.

Deb Peck Kelleher, policy director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, suggested in inner cities, the high asthma rate may be caused or exacerbated by diesel emissions. She thinks a move to electrify school buses will help the problem.

"As we start to electrify, not only will we see climate emissions go down, but we'll see air pollution go down," Peck Kelleher explained. "And there should be a dramatic impact on our residents' health because of that."

She noted more EV charging infrastructure will need to be built at schools. A report on electrifying New York City school buses found the biggest barrier to their widespread deployment has been the up-front purchase price.

Peck Kelleher countered the overall operating cost of electric vehicles is more affordable than diesel-powered vehicles.

There are more than 50,000 school buses operating in New York state. And while her group would like to see every school district make the switch to electric, Peck Kelleher argued the initial focus should be on places where air pollution is worst.

"Those areas with a high pollution level, I believe, should be switched over first," Peck Kelleher urged. "Those benefits of cleaner air, especially around our schools, would only double the benefits in our urban areas."

New York City has some of the highest air pollution in the state, and last April, former Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to making its school bus fleets electric by 2040.