The subsidies for wind energy, known as the Production Tax Credit, was set to expire in 2012. That meant that any wind project that were not online by the end of this year would be denied the credit that has helped make wind energy one of the fastest growing and most vital electricity generation sources for our planet and even our fiscal security. And besides that there were tens of thousands of jobs at risk in building the parts, developing and constructing the wind farms. This is a BFD and it was clothed in uncertainty the entire year.
Thankfully there is at least a one year extension. And there is an even better wrinkle. While wind projects needed to deliver energy by the deadline, now a wind project just needs to begin construction by the end of 2013 to be eligible for the tax credit.
I realize that this fiscal cliff deal has raised emotions quite a bit, but this is an unequivocal success no matter what you think of everything else.