Tax Breaks in the Southern States

Energy-related tax breaks and other incentives are the spring trend in the southern states, as bills passed in Georgia and presented in South Carolina this month would seem to indicate.

House Bill 670, signed into law by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue (R), creates a clean energy tax credit that’s $2.5 million each year for five years, to be used as income tax incentives for solar, wind, geothermal, and energy efficient buildings in both the commercial and residential sectors.

In South Carolina, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell of Charleston (R) put before the Senate Finance Committee three bills supporting energy-related tax breaks; all were met with approval.

Says Ben Taube, Executive Director of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), “Southeast states have traditionally been viewed as unlikely candidates for progressive energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, but that is changing drastically with the leadership of key states. As [SEEA] continues to develop its programs in the Southeast, we are optimistic that the states will show continued leadership in the area of energy efficiency as a cost-competitive option for supply side solutions.”