An aide to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, warned Wyoming government and industry officials this week about the impact of expiring incentives for renewable energy projects.

At a meeting in Jackons for the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority in Jackson, Steve Black said both a grant program and a loan guarantee program for renewables have already expired.  He adds that a tax credit that encourages wind projects is due to expire this year. Black says now is not the time to tax an industry that’s just getting off the ground.

“America needs to diversify its energy resources. We need all domestic sources of energy, and so now is not the time to make it financially more difficult for wind in Wyoming or solar in the desert southwest.”

Black says President Obama is asking Congress to extend the tax credit for wind projects.