President Obama is speaking in Oskaloosa late this morning, focusing on what a campaign official describes as a “clear choice Iowans have in this election.”
Obama brought the issue up Monday during a speech in Council Bluffs.
“Right now home-grown energy, things like wind energy, creating new jobs all across the states, like Iowa, and Governor Romney wants to end tax credits for wind energy producers,” Obama said.
The wind production tax credit is set to expire at the end of the year. Republicans like presidential candidate Mitt Romney argue federal tax policy shouldn’t prop up renewable energy technology that can’t make a profit on its own.
Obama has called on congress to extend the tax break for wind energy production. About 7000 Iowans work in the wind energy industry, making and maintaining the turbines.
“Without these wind energy tax credits, a whole lot of these jobs would be at risk, so I think we should stop spending billions on taxpayer subsidies for an oil industry that is making all kinds of profits and let’s keep investing in the clean energy that’s never been more promising,” Obama said in Council Bluffs. “That’s a disagreement I’ve got with Governor Romney. That’s the choice in this election.”
Iowa has become a leader in the wind energy industry, ranking second among the states in wind energy production. Twenty percent of the electricity generated in Iowa now comes from wind turbines. Obama’s campaign touts another figure showing wind energy production in the U.S. has doubled since Obama took office.
Obama is scheduled to speak at a school in Marshalltown late this afternoon. The president will be in Waterloo this evening and is scheduled to speak there shortly before eight o’clock.