The Green Economic Recovery: Wind Energy Tax Policy After Financial Crisis and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of Oregon Scholars' Bank JEFFRY S. HINMAN∗ The Green Economic Recovery: Wind Energy Tax Policy After Financial Crisis and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 I. The Benefits, Challenges, and Potential of the U.S. Wind Industry................................................................................... 39 A. Environmental Benefits of Wind...................................... 40 B. Economic Benefits of Wind ............................................. 41 1. Jobs and Economic Activity........................................ 41 2. Competitiveness with Traditional Power Plants ......... 43 C. Challenges for the Wind Energy Industry ......................... 44 1. Efficiency, Grid Access, and Intermittency ................ 44 2. Environmental Concerns and Local Opposition ......... 45 II. Federal Support for Renewable Energy Past and Present ....... 46 A. Renewable Energy Tax Policy 1978 to 1992 .................... 47 1. The National Energy Act of 1978 ............................... 48 2. Additional State-Level Tax Incentives in California During the 1980s ....................................... 50 3. The California Wind Boom......................................... 51 4. Shortcomings of the Wind Boom................................ 52 5. The Free Market Approach 1986 to 1992 ................... 53 ∗ J.D., University of Oregon School of Law, 2009; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, 2008–2009; Recipient, Tax Law Certificate of Completion; B.S., Oregon State University, 2002. I want to thank the editorial staff of the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation for their friendship and masterful edits. I also want to extend my appreciation to the excellent tax law faculty at the University of Oregon, Professors Roberta Mann and Nancy Shurtz, for their guidance and feedback. Finally, and most importantly, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my incredible wife Kathleen for her patience and support.
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