The single most effective measure to increase the use of clean renewable energy and energy efficiency is to extend and expand the present set of clean energy tax credits that are due to expire at the end of 2008. Caught in a legislative ping-pong between the House and the Senate, some version of the tax extension package was considered by the House and Senate at least 12 times during the 110th Congress.

In one of the earlier efforts to extend the renewable-energy and energy-efficiency tax credits, the House passed H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which would have extended the tax credit for wind and other renewables by three years and re-instated expired credits for commercial and resident buildings. In addition, new tax credits were made available for plug-in hybrids and other transportation alternatives. To offset the costs, the bill changed the way oil and gas companies calculate foreign oil and gas income and bumped up the estimated tax rate for certain large corporations.

The measure passed with a vote of 236-182 (House roll call vote 84) on February 27. YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE.