Thompson receives public service award
Last week, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) received the American Public Power Association's Public Service Award at APPA's Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C.
Thompson was honored by APPA for exceptional leadership on numerous issues of importance to public power — particularly his vital role on the House Ways and Means Committee helping public power utilities obtain direct pay credits to develop cleaner energy resources.
“I am honored to receive the 2023 Public Service
Award from American Public Power Association for my success with the GREEN Act, which was part of the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Thompson in a news release. “This historic law is going to help public utilities access vital resources they have historically been unable to receive to aid their transition to clean and renewable energy. Climate change is a major threat to our country and world, and with the provisions of the Inflation
Reduction Act, we're going to accelerate the transition and lower energy costs for consumers.”
APPA Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Communications & General Counsel Desmarie Waterhouse said Thompson's leadership on the direct pay issue has been critical.
“The direct pay incentives that became law in the Inflation Reduction Act are truly game-changing for our industry,” Waterhouse said. “We are incredibly grateful to Rep. Thompson for his role in pushing our industry forward while creating jobs and growing the economy.”
Thompson's GREEN Act was included in the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments include:
• Clean Power: 10 plus years of tax credits for renewable technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower, including credits targeted to low-income communities, affordable housing and community solar.
• Grid Resiliency: New tax credits for batteries and other energy storage technologies to enable renewable technologies and make our grids more resilient to disasters and blackouts.
• Energy Efficiency: 10 years of tax credits for energy efficiency, from helping homeowners afford electric and efficient heating and cooling equipment to incentivizing energy efficient homes and commercial buildings.
• Clean Fuels: Credits to promote low-carbon fuels such as biodiesel and to tackle one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors, aviation, through a new credit for sustainable aviation fuel.
• Clean Vehicles: 10years of tax credits for electric, fuelcell and hybrid vehicles, including credits to make used vehicles more affordable for low- and moderate-income individuals and to clean up the air by getting more clean delivery vans, trucks and buses on the road.
• Clean Manufacturing and
Industry: Over $35billion in investments in clean manufacturing to ensure that our energy transition is built on strong domestic supply chains and investments to help industrial facilities be cleaner, including by investing in clean hydrogen.
• Good Jobs: Labor standards throughout key provisions to ensure that our clean energy future is built with good-paying jobs.
• Polluters Pay: Building on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, reinstates the Superfund tax on oil producers and importers in order to pay for environmental cleanup, rather than putting the onus on overburdened communities.