Utah

Tax credits can be like a drug. From the Salt Lake Tribune:

A proposed wind farm could be in jeopardy because Utah no longer offers a renewable energy tax credit that Wasatch Winds officials say is needed for the project to be successful.

Tax credits for renewable energy were removed during this year's legislative session. They have been in place since 1980, but must be renewed every five years. This year, the Legislature ran out of time to renew the credits before the session ended March 1.

Tracy Livingston, Wasatch Winds' president, met with legislators last week to try to persuade them to reinstate the credits.

''I told them that incentives are necessary to promote wind energy and that our neighboring states have provided incentives and that wind energy has accelerated in those states,'' he said. ''There's a direct correlation in the adoption of state incentives and the wind energy produced in the state.''

Livingston said he needs to know within six months whether legislators will reinstate the tax credit. He said he needs to have the wind farm operating by next year to fulfill contractual obligations.

Livingston said he already has spent $500,000 on the farm and he would like the credits to help him this year. He said he will need the credits next year in order to be profitable.

Before he entered into contractual obligations, it might have been a good idea for Mr. Livingston to consider that he might not receive tax credits.