Wind turbines turn at sunset just south of Lamar. A bipartisan group of governors is pushing to extend the wind-power tax credit.
Wind turbines turn at sunset just south of Lamar. A bipartisan group of governors is pushing to extend the wind-power tax credit. (Matthew Staver, Bloomberg)






Some Republican lawmakers don't want to extend it without an offset elsewhere in the budget, and some are opposed to extending tax breaks to energy sources they say aren't competitive.

On a conference call Tuesday, Branstad, a Republican, said, "Due to the uncertainty, we've seen a negative impact and the loss of jobs."


Kansas had about $3 billion in wind farm investments in 2012, said Brownback, also a Republican. But there are no new investments set for 2013. "It is critical. It is happening and it needs to be extended," he said.



"We need to invest in jobs," said Kitzhaber, a Democrat.

The governors said the goal should be to provide a transition period for the expiration of the tax credit. "We know this isn't going to last forever," Iowa's Branstad said. "But this has been a good investment that paid dividends in good jobs in the United States."

President Barack Obama has supported the credit.

Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, who participated in the conference call, said the tax credit had to be worked out within the context of the broader federal budget and deficit negotiations now underway in Washington, D.C. But Grassley added: "We have a 20-year investment in the industry. It would terrible to throw that away."

Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912, or