CEI Opposes Omnibus Cave-In on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Rules and Extensions of Wind and Solar Tax Subsidies

Myron Ebell, director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment, today explained CEI’s opposition to some provisions and support for certain riders in the omnibus spending bill.

“The Omnibus Appropriations bill drops riders blocking implementation of the EPA’s greenhouse gas rules for new and existing power plants despite the fact that majorities in both the House and Senate voted to block these rules and the riders were contained in the Interior-EPA Appropriations bills passed by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.  This cave-in is, to put it mildly, disappointing.

“Including multi-year renewal of the Wind Production Tax Credit and the Solar Investment Tax Credit in the Tax Extenders Package is similarly disappointing.  The Senate Finance Committee had passed only a two-year extension of both corporate welfare subsidies, and the House Ways and Means Committee had excluded both subsidies from its package.  Yet the final package provides taxpayer handouts to both industries for longer terms.  Cronyism is alive and well in the Republican 114^th Congress.”

For more on CEI’s take on the omnibus bill see the following:

• Why the Omnibus Shouldn't Include Cybersecurity Legislation
• Omnibus: No Financial Reg Relief, Dangerous GSE Provision, But a Little CFPB Sunshine
• Omnibus with Significant Reg Relief May Be Worth Supporting