Energy Tax Breaks

While production tax credits are a questionable way to choose technologies for energy production, they are a valuable way to tackle the real issues of environmental impact. Production tax credits (PTCs) should be wielded in a technology-neutral way that help encourage businesses to pursue environmental goals that are not necessarily perceived as part of their bottom line.

But all that said, the current policy that allows PTCs to be created and expire on an annual basis is the worst of all worlds. If we are going to have an energy policy that relies on PTCs, then we need to make them last as long as the time scales necessary to effect change in energy futures.

Let's first find a way to make PTCs become based on the environmental goals and divorced from the technology. Then, let's make them last for a long time so that we can plan on them and make a difference.