Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week Congress advanced a renewable energy bill. After several false starts, one Oregon lawmaker says the political winds are shifting in favor of green energy. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports from Capitol Hill.

Oregon is already making strides in wind and solar power. This week the House passed a bill to extend and expand investment tax credits for renewable energy.

Representative Earl Blumenauer says it will give consumers more choices and protect an emerging industry in Oregon and beyond.

Earl Blumenauer: "If we don’t pass this legislation, we’re putting at risk $19 billion in new investment and over 115,000 jobs. That’s really not a risk that we should take."

Last year lawmakers had to strip provisions for renewables like wind and solar in order to get an energy bill through Congress.

Blumenauer says with oil at $130 a barrel and climbing, politics are starting to work in favor of green energy.