A recent national poll commissioned by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) finds that the majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents want more American-produced wind power; they also back an extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The poll found 73 percent of registered voters support continuing the PTC, including 63 percent of registered Republicans, 74 percent of Independents, and over 71 percent overall in all regions of the country.

This poll supports similar results from a national survey conducted by USA Today, Standford University and Resources for the Future in December 2013 when the PTC was originally set to expire (it was extended one year). The renewable energy PTC and Investment Tax Credit have a history of bipartisan support, as they did last April when five Republicans joined Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee in an 18-6 vote to include them in this year’s tax extenders bill, the EXPIRE Act.

“These poll results couldn’t be clearer. American voters support wind power and support continuing the incentive for investment in wind power,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the AWEA. “It’s time for Congress to do what the majority of Americans want – and that means extending the Production Tax Credit so we can keep scaling up this critically important American energy source.”

The latest poll also found 79 percent of registered voters, including 69 percent of Republicans, agree with the statement “incentives for investment in wind energy help American workers make more of our own energy right here in America.” The data finds that in nearly all regions, the PTC is essential if new wind installations and cost reductions are to continue and benefit more consumers. According to AWEA, failures to continue the PTC by Congress in the past has caused an up to 92 percent drop in new wind power installations over the previous year, causing the loss of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in private investment to the U.S. economy.