Hearing on residential energy efficiency draws crowd to state House chamber

The day began with an examination of existing tax credits for construction of energy efficient residential properties. Mike Means of the Oklahoma Homebuilders Association said the existing state credits might justifiably be phased out in future years, as code mandates grow more stringent and sensitive to energy consumption but that now it provides important incentives to builders, and savings for purchasers of new homes.

Means pointed to Department of Energy estimates that increases in energy efficiency in the home industry could in the relatively near-term reduce the need for construction of as many as 600 new power generation facilities, nationwide. Such estimates, he said, should be considered alongside the nation’s projected need for as many as 1,500 new plants over the next 20 years.

State Rep. Mike Reynolds, an Oklahoma City Republican, noted during questions of morning speakers that some of the highest beneficiaries of the credit are now home builders. Reynolds later provided information about top recipients, which include Richard & Sandra Bell ($200,000), Baseys Construction Inc. ($200,000), Keith Thompson ($189,573) and Zachariah and Sonia Eckert ($173,255). Bell is a well-known attorney.

As did other defenders of tax credit programs throughout the day, Means contended the energy efficiency program meets the three criteria for validity identified in a 2010 opinion by former Attorney General Drew Edmondson. In distilled form, that opinion says exemptions must 1. Serve a public purpose, 2. Be supported by adequate consideration, and 3. Have adequate controls and safeguards.

In today’s hearing, Dank made a point, by analogy, to the existence of other generous tax credit programs, including those that reward Oklahomans who choose engineering as a profession. He asked, rhetorically, “What do I saw when Aubrey McClendon, Larry Nichols or Harold Hamm come and say, ‘Hey, what about my petroleum engineers? What about my geologists?’” Dank asked, “Is there a point at which this stops?

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