March 4, 2019
Senator Charles Grassley Senator Ron Wyden
Chairman Ranking Member
Committee on Finance Committee on Finance
219 Dirksen Senate Office Building 219 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden:
I write on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) to offer our strong support for S. 617, the Tax Extender and Disaster Relief Act of 2019. CRES believes this legislation will further support the growth of the clean energy sector.
In particular, CRES supports extending expired tax credits that support clean energy and renewable sources and technologies. This includes sections 45 and 48(a)(5), which extends the production tax credit for certain renewable sources of electricity including closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal, and qualified hydropower. CRES also supports extension of Section 179D for energy efficient commercial buildings.
Together, these provisions represent an important step forward in leveling the playing field for clean energy technologies. Additional clean energy tax credits—and their planned sunset schedules—create parity among energy generation technologies and fair competition for industries that show economic promise and environmental benefit.
Thank you again for your leadership, and we look forward to working with you on passage of this legislation.
Sincerely,
Heather Reams
Executive Director