June 26 2017
On April 15, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced that he wanted the energy department to do a 60 day study to find out of the alternative energy regulations, mandates, and tax and subsidies are forcing coal power plants to close down permanently, before they should. That 60 day study from the U.S. energy department has not been released yet. The pro-wind side seems to be suspicious of President Donald Trump, because of Trump’s dislike of a wind farm in Scotland where Trump owned property, and because Trump appointed Rick Perry as Energy Secretary. Pro-wind websites are filled with comments from those who are skeptical of Perry. Notably, Rick Perry got into it last week in Washington with Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken at a congressional budget panel. Franken argued with Perry because Perry is a doubtful about the existence of Climate Change.
It is clear that Energy Secretary Rick Perry and President Donald Trump are not very supportive of wind, but locally, Corning Republican Congressman Tom Reed is in favor of it. Reed has both in speeches, and in his online editorials on websites such as theHill.com, , been supportive of an “all of the above” energy policy. Reed also supports the PTC, the Production Tax Credit, and the congressman says that the cost of wind has gone down in recent years, because of the bi-partisan vote to phase down the Production Tax Credit. Reed also says that over 100,000 Americans work in the field of wind energy. Reed says that wind is important to farmers in this congressional district.
In this part of Reed’s district, there are wind projects in up and running in Jasper, Cohocton, and Howard. There are also other wind projects that are proposed for other towns in the area.
