Honorable Diane Feinstein United States

¶ … Honorable Diane Feinstein

United States Senate (or U.S. House of Representatives)

Dear Senator Feinstein:

I am writing to express my tentative support for the Extend Act (S.822), recently signed by the President. The bill was introduced by you and Senator Snowe and according to your Web site "provides an estimated $1.779 billion in incentives for energy efficient buildings." You rightly called the passing of the bill a "major milestone in America's much-needed shift towards energy efficiency and renewable energy."

While I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the importance of the bill, I want to express a few reservations. As a student in the great State of California, I have witnessed first hand how far we Americans have to go in creating clean sources of energy. I would appreciate a more specific explanation of which corporations are receiving the generous tax breaks, and how those companies can acquire the tax breaks. In particular, I am concerned that oil companies can feign their dedication to research and development projects. I am also concerned that the parameters of the bill are too vague and allow for easy loopholes for greedy energy corporations.

My concerns aside, I want to laud the additions you recently made to the Snowe-Feinstein Extend Act. You offered tax credits to home owners who upgraded their residences with improved insulation or sources of heat and cooling. You also offered tax credits for new homes built with green technology and removed the cap on tax credits home owners receive by installing solar electricity panels in their places of residence. I would suggest going farther and offering greater tax breaks to companies in the construction and real estate development industries. If the construction and building industries are encouraged to develop, manufacture, and use cutting-edge next generation materials for all new developments, our country will fast become one of the most progressive in the world.

For now, though, the United States is sorely lagging behind countries in Europe and also Japan in stimulating growth in the green building sector. I appreciate your efforts in offering extended tax credits for green homes and also for protecting the tax credits offered in the previous version of the Snowe-Feinstein Extend Act. Encouraging research and development of renewable energy resources is one of the most important things Americans can invest in.