Obama touted the production tax credit as vitally important to creating new jobs, and Environment News Service flagged a couple of analyses that have supported that assertion, including one that said expiration of the credit would kill 37,000 jobs within a year. The best coverage has come out of the Hawkeye State itself, however, where the Des Moines Register has been following the debate closely. According to an article published Wednesday:
Not all Iowa wind jobs would disappear without the tax credit. Wind turbine manufacturers have branched out in preparation, and those who operate existing wind turbines in Iowa would keep their jobs. But Iowa’s federal lawmakers, Democratic and Republican, worry that Iowa could see some layoffs if the tax credit dies.
Whatever the case may be, the complexity of the debates surrounding domestic oil and gas production and the production tax credit for wind power defy stump-speech sound bites. Reporters should strive to include as much context as they can find and to press the candidates for details rather than blanket accusations.
