Iowa: Math Error A Blow To Wind Farms
Omaha World-Herald
DES
MOINES (AP) - A bill that sailed through the Iowa Legislature on the
final day of the session contained a mathematical error that wipes out
tax breaks intended for wind energy producers.
The
error delays a plan that state officials said would speed the number of
new projects over the next three years in Iowa, a state with a huge -
and largely untapped - potential to power homes, schools and businesses
through wind power.
Supporters
said the tax breaks would encourage construction of costly wind farms,
providing economic development in rural areas while helping to create a
source of renewable energy.
But the
glitch puts on hold several projects, including a $200 million wind
farm proposed in Iowa Falls that was waiting to proceed until the
incentives were in place.
"Nothing
is going to happen on their projects unless or until the error is
fixed," said Steve Roberts, a lobbyist who represented wind energy
interests. "It's a meaningless piece of legislation at the moment."
Whitney
& Co., a Stamford, Conn., venture capital firm that proposed the
massive 135-turbine farm in Iowa Falls and several other projects in
northern Iowa, has lobbied the Legislature unsuccessfully for two years
for the tax credits.
When
they failed to pass last year, the company threatened to relocate the
$300 million investment to another state. Roberts said the company is
upset over the error but hasn't decided how to proceed.
(more)
|
||||
|
Recent Articles
Search
Login Daily Archive Categories
Powered by BlogHarbor
 |
Saturday, June 19
Iowa: Math Error A Blow To Wind Farms
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 19 Jun 2004 06:36 PM CDT
Harkin Leads Senate in Unanimous Vote Demanding Political Balance on American Forces Radio and Television Service
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 19 Jun 2004 10:15 AM CDT
Harkin Leads Senate in Unanimous Vote Demanding Political Balance on American Forces Radio and Television Service
Democracy Radio WASHINGTON -- Democracy Radio and Media Matters for America yesterday lauded Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and the entire United States Senate for calling on the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) to provide political balance in its public affairs programming. On June 14, 2004, Senator Harkin introduced an amendment to the 2004 Department of Defense authorization bill, calling on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to develop appropriate methods of oversight to ensure the news service presents balanced political programming. The measure passed in the Senate by unanimous consent. "It's gratifying that the United States Senate recognizes that AFRTS is failing to provide politically balanced radio programming to its soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines," said Tom Athans, executive director of Democracy Radio. "Our fighting men and women hold a variety of political beliefs and they deserve to hear diverse programming that more fairly reflects those beliefs." For the past seven weeks, Media Matters for America (see left sidebar under Great Tools) has been monitoring The Rush Limbaugh Show, resulting in the capture and publication of Limbaugh's offensive statements . . . . Media Matters for America has written two letters to Secretary Rumsfeld requesting that he consider removing the conservative talk radio host from AFRTS. A recent survey by Democracy Radio discovered that The Rush Limbaugh Show is the sole program of its kind on AFRTS that offers political commentary. AFRTS is a broadcast service funded by public tax dollars and reaches nearly 1 million U.S. troops every day. "Not only is it unacceptable that our troops are being conditioned with this destructive propaganda, it is abhorrent that the American taxpayer is now paying for the broadcast of a reckless radio host . . . ," said David Brock, president and CEO of Media Matters for America. "The Senate action is a step in the right direction to ensure that Limbaugh's messaging can be countered with more credible voices reaching out troops." (more)
Iowa in the News: Environment
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 19 Jun 2004 05:01 AM CDT
River Lock Bill Support
High Plains Journal OMAHA (DTN) Politicians, an environmental group, and producers joined forces yesterday to show support for a bill which would modernize locks on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the Midwest Area River Coalition and senators from states along the Mississippi River held a press conference Thursday touting the critical need for passage of the bill known as S. 2470, according to a NCGA news release. Senators Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), a bipartisan group representing the Mississippi River basin, introduced S. 2470 on May 20. The bill calls for navigation capacity improvements and a major ecosystem restoration program for the upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway. (more) Water in Joice laced with fecal contamination QC Times JOICE, Iowa (AP) — Residents in this northern Iowa town are depending on bottled water after tests showed their water was contaminated with high levels of fecal bacteria. The Worth County town of about 230 people depends on private wells, and residents have been asked not to drink the water or bathe in it. “Over 60 percent of the tests that came back failed,” Mayor Mark Thoma said Friday. Thoma says the city contacted the state’s homeland security department, which arranged for donations of water and bleach to shock each well. He believes last month’s storms caused the problem. (more) Cleanup targets former Allied site QC Times CLINTON, Iowa — When a federal environmental cleanup starts in July at a former coal-gas company site, 250 tons of contaminated soil and later 25,000 tons — or 1,000 trailer loads — of underground coal-tar deposits will be removed from the Clinton riverfront property. Kevin Larson of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, told the Clinton City Council that he nearly is finished hurtling through red tape to get the first phase of cleanup started next month at the former Allied Steel site. He said the work is proceeding now because the property’s owner, Riverview Partners of Bettendorf, has worked out an agreement to sell the land to Alliant Energy — the company held financially accountable for contamination caused by a former energy-related business there long ago. (more) |
Blog for Iowa 
BFIA Writer's Guidelines We welcome Submissions Iowa Sites Child & Family Policy Center - Iowa Genetic Engineering Action Network Iowa Citizen Action Network - ICAN Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility Iowa Public Interest Research Group Midwest Environmental Justice Advocates Progressive Action for the Common Good Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa QCAD (Quad-Citians Affirming Diversity - GLBT) Iowa Blogs The Deprogrammer (Quad Cities) Iowa True Blue (Gordon Fischer's Blog) Iowa Voters for Open and Transparent Elections Political FalloutFight Iowa Rapid Response Network - Iowa
Iowans for Better Local TV
Air America
The Counterpoint
National FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
Media Matters for America
|
||
|
||||
