Texas Scorecard by By Joshua Pierce February 23, 2021
Texas wind and solar generators obtained $19.4 billion in taxpayer-funded benefits and subsidies between 2006 and 2019 alone.On Tuesday, State Rep. Jeff Cason (R–Bedford) announced today his filing of House Bill 2084, the End Tax Abatements for Renewable Energy Act.
Chapter 313 of the Texas Tax Code allows school districts to offer large tax breaks for 10 years to renewable energy and other businesses, including wind and solar farms.
The tax breaks come at no loss to the school districts. Instead, the state supplements the lost revenue to the districts from sales taxes and other state-collected taxes.
Cason’s bill seeks to remove their eligibility from the subsidy.
“Renewable energy is the most subsidized form of energy production in this country,†Cason said. “This subsidization has created an over-dependence in Texas on unreliable wind and solar power, which significantly contributed to the energy catastrophe of last week.â€
The Texas Republican platform opposes the use of 313 agreements, while the Texas Democrat platform also calls for prohibiting “corporate welfare†incentives.
Last week, it was reported that 41 more wind and solar plants are set to receive tax abatements in 2021.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/cason-files-bill-to-end-tax-abatements-for-unreliable-energy/