Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007

The Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to renewable energy sources and energy conservation. It passed in the House on August 4, 2007.

Current status
The bill was approved by the House on August 4, 2007. It is currently awaiting action by the Senate.

House
The House bill approved a set of tax incentives to encourage the use and production of renewable energy and energy conservation, and to repeal tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

 

The House bill provided for a number of production incentives, including:


 * The long-term extension and modification of renewable energy production tax credits and solar energy and fuel cell investment tax credits (until 2012).
 * $2 billion of new clean renewable energy bonds for public power providers and electric cooperatives.
 * An extension of the present-law deferral on sales of transmission property from electric utilities and their affiliates to a FERC-approved independent transmission company.
 * The removal of caps on the credit for residential solar property (currently capped at $2,000) and residential fuel cell property (currently capped at $500 per half kilowatt of capacity).

Clean transportation incentives include:


 * A plug-in hybrid vehicle credit.
 * A cellulosic alcohol production credit.
 * The extension of a biodiesel production tax credit and the extension and modification of renewable diesel tax credit.
 * The extension and increase of a alternative refueling stations tax credit.
 * Fringe benefit for bicycle commuters.
 * The modification of depreciation and expensing rules for certain vehicles.
 * The restructuring of New York Liberty Zone tax credits.

The House legislation also cuts many oil subsidies and tax credits. Specifically, it:


 * Removes a deduction for oil and gas firms for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas or other primary products
 * Increases the amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies to seven years
 * Limits the ability for U.S. oil and gas companies to benefit from foreign tax credits
 * Clarifies eligibility for certain fuel credits.

Senate
On June 21, 2007, Senate Republicans halted a $32 billion package of tax breaks for renewable energy that would have been financed mostly by new taxes on big oil.

Presidential veto threat
President Bush threatened to veto the final legislation because, he argued, it discouraged domestic oil and gas production, and increases the tax burden on the oil industry.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * CLEAN Energy Act of 2007
 * climate change
 * U.S. federal oil and gas royalties

Websites

 * Renewable Energy Access.com.
 * Renewable Energy Law Blogspot.

2005

 * Justin Blum, "House Energy Bill Increases Tax Breaks. Legislation at Odds With Bush Proposal," Washington Post, April 19, 2005.
 * Zachary Coile, "House OKs energy bill laden with tax breaks. Measure seeks to build up domestic oil production," San Francisco Chronicle, April 22, 2005.
 * H. Josef Hebert, "Energy Compromise Has Billions in Tax Breaks for Energy Companies, Cuts Conservation Support," Associated Press (truthout), July 27, 2005.
 * Justin Blum, "Energy Tax Breaks Total $14.5 Billion. Some Lawmakers Wanted More Support for Efficiency, Alternative Sources," Washington Post, July 28, 2005.

2007

 * Mark Clayton, "US House takes on Big Oil. A bill to be voted on Thursday would cut federal benefits by a third and give them to renewable-energy programs," Christian Science Monitor, January 18, 2007.
 * Edmund L. Andrews, "House passes bill to cancel oil industry tax breaks," International Herald Tribune, January 19, 2007.
 * Elizabeth Davidz, "Congress eyes tax breaks for cleaner fuel. Lawmakers under increasing pressure to address climate change," Medill News Service (MarketWatch), March 1, 2007.
 * Edmund L. Andrews, "Democrats Press Plan to Channel Billions in Oil Subsidies to Renewable Fuels," New York Times; International Herald Tribune, June 18, 2007.
 * Jay Newton-Small, "Green Concerns Over the Energy Bill," TIME Magazine, June 19, 2007.
 * Edmund L. Andrews, "Panel Supports Tax Breaks for Coal and Non-Oil Fuel," New York Times, June 20, 2007.