The production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy is currently set to expire December 31^st, 2012. The credit is currently 2.2¢ per kWh created by wind. The average price of electricity nationwide is 11¢ per kWh.

A study released recently by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) states that without an immediate PTC program extension, wind energy “jobs will drop by nearly half, from 78,000 in 2012 to 41,000 in 2013.” According to the report, an extension of the program through 2016 could create nearly 17,000 wind industry jobs.

Denise Bode, AWEA’s CEO, has stated that “these jobs could vanish if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit to expire, in effect enacting a targeted tax increase, and sending our jobs to foreign countries.” Critics of the program argue that it “provides an unfair subsidy to the industry without any measurable effect on the use of fossil fuels.” [Sustainable Business Oregon]