In the same week that the U.S. Interior Department released the long-awaited environmental impact statement of Cape Wind, the planned offshore wind farm near Cape Cod, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced a plan to get ten percent of the state’s energy from wind energy by 2020.

According to The Boston Globe ’s Green Blog, officials say the Massachusetts wind power target is intended to guide the incentives and policies made by state agencies. “It helps to motivate the bureaucracy,” said Ian Bowles, the secretary for energy and environmental affairs.

Bowles added that about one-tenth to one-quarter of the governor’s wind power target could be reached with municipal-scale projects, but that “Offshore wind is going to need to make up a substantial part of it.”

After Friday’s big news about Cape Wind, it seems the Governor’s plan should work out nicely. Cape Wind is expected to provide enough electricity for three quarters of the residents of the Cape and Islands, or, 800,000 homes.

Image: CC licensed by flickr user whyowhyowhyo

What I do know, is that as early as tomorrow, the Senate will vote on S. 3335, which includes an 8 year extension of the commercial and residential solar tax credit, and doubles the residential cap to $4,000.

S. 3335 (pdf) was devised by Senate Democrats to include bi-partisan must-pass provisions, such as tax relief for families and businesses affected by natural disasters this year in the Midwest and West, and an exemption on the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for middle- income families.

An eight year of the investment tax credit would give the solar industry the long term security it needs to ramp up production in the United States, which in turn, would create jobs, and limit the need for the construction of any new coal-fired power plants. If you want to see this bill pass, I urge you to take action on the investment tax credit by contacting your Senator immediately.

Other posts about federal renewable energy tax credits:

• “Senate Blocks Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill… Again. SF to Go it Alone”
• “Senator Attacks Solar Energy Industry”
• “Senate to Vote on Renewables as Early as Today”
• “Senate Passes Renewable Energy Tax Credits. Shouldn’t I be More Excited?”

Photo: Clearly Ambiguous via flickr Under a Creative Commons License