As Congress heads into a post-election lame duck session, a key question for the state’s power industry is whether it will extend a variety of expiring federal energy tax incentives. Bills are pending in both the House and Senate to extend the 2.3 cent/kWh production tax credit for wind power. “Tax incentives level the playing field for clean energy,” said outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) earlier this fall. “I will bring them up for a vote before the end of the year.” His presumed successor as Majority Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), agrees that Congress must deal with extending a wide variety of tax credits by the end of the year, according to reports. In the Senate, the vehicle so far is the EXPIRE Act of 2014 (S. 2260), sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Wyden’s measure would extend more than 60 expiring tax credits for everything from credits for energy technologies to unreimbursed expenses incurred by teachers. “Clean energy would take a blow, threatening good American jobs and our ability to compete on technology with countries like China and Japan,” according Wyden, if the credits are not extended. His measure would extend the production tax credit for the wind industry through the end of 2015. Under the bill, wind projects that break ground by the end of 2015 could claim the 2.3 cent tax credit/kWh they produce for 10 years once they commence operation. The credit expired at the end of 2013, meaning that only wind projects breaking ground by then could claim the credit. The estimated cost to the Treasury of extending the credits for two years is more than $10 billion. The Senate Finance Committee approved Wyden’s measure by a bipartisan voice vote and sent it to the Senate floor last spring, where it’s been stalled. In the House, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA) in September introduced a companion bill, HR 5559, the Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2014. “Oregon is a leader in renewable energy technologies, and Dave’s state of Iowa is the second largest wind energy producer in the nation, so we understand the importance of stability and security in the clean energy sector,” stated Blumenauer. Their bill would extend the production tax credit for wind power through 2016—one year longer than would the Senate measure. It also would extend the investment tax credit for solar through 2017, meaning any project that breaks ground by the end of that year would qualify for the 30 percent credit. That credit expires at the end of 2016 under current law. The measures also would extend a variety of tax incentives for energy efficiency, alternative fuels, and other clean energy technologies. No votes are scheduled yet.