Wind power is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the world, making it a key element in the nation’s green-energy profile. The Midwest is a prime region in the nation for wind power development.

Part of what makes wind power and other renewable sources accessible to purchase and install is an energy-production tax credit that has been extended to December 2007. The credit provides a few incentives to buy and produce solar, biomass, hydroelectric and wind power. The tax credit gives many producers of renewable energy an approximate 1.9 cent per-kilowatt-hour credit for the first 10 years of energy production. This makes wind energy production a very attractive commodity. This incentive helps make renewable energy production available to more people ” especially farmers ” who have fewer financial resources. In this way, the tax credit helps these producers avoid production costs that move them toward cost-efficient production sooner.

Making renewable energy attractive not only to suppliers but also to consumers allows these sources to continue to grow. Without the tax credit, people who start producing renewable energy will be limited to large corporations, and the attractiveness of reaching a cost-efficient stage early on will disappear.

However, the bill extension does not include the Renewables Portfolio Standard. The standard would require at least 10 percent of the nation’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. This would ensure that renewable energy production would continue to grow over the next 15 years.

Minnesotans should do what they can to participate in the fight to go green. Most energy companies already provide alternative energy to their customers, but many don’t know about it. Consumers simply need to ask their power company for any percentage of their energy come from renewable sources. On average, it costs an extra $4 per month. People expressing desire for renewable energy will keep the nation moving toward going green in the future.