What does the Federal Aviation Administration have to do with renewable-energy subsidies? Not much, except that senators are trying to sneak extensions of expiring green-energy tax credits into the bill reauthorizing the aviation regulatory agency.

R Street long has advocated for ending renewable-energy subsidies, which protect the interests of energy-industry insiders over those of taxpayers and consumers. At the close of budget negotiations last year, R Street was dismayed that some wasteful and harmful renewable-energy subsidies were extended, yet we remained cautiously optimistic that their phase-out might be in sight.

Now we’re frustrated to learn about new efforts in the Senate to extend an additional $1.4 billion in green-energy subsidies through sneaky, last-minute add-ons to an unrelated bill. We agree with many in the conservative movement that the renewable-energy provisions have no place in the FAA legislation.

As members of the Green Scissors coalition, R Street has a longstanding commitment to identify and eliminate programs that are both wasteful and environmentally harmful. Not only do green-energy tax credits waste billions of taxpayer dollars, they also prevent innovation and investment in the energy industry that could make sources like wind and solar viable in the long term.

We should not waste taxpayer dollars on industries that—despite decades of being propped up by generous government subsidies—can’t stand alone as competitive energy sources in the market economy. We hope members of the Senate will oppose this amendment, as well as any new efforts to grant a lifeline to renewable-energy subsidies that have continued well-past their expiration dates already.

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