Green Options » tax breaks

Prince Charles Attacks Emphasis on Wind and Solar Power in Green Building Industry

Timothy B. Hurst — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:42:02 +0000

The Prince of Wales criticized the green building industry for relying on eco-gadgets like wind turbines and solar panels while ignoring inefficient buildings.

The heir apparent to the British Crown, His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales has called on developers to use traditional methods and materials alongside the best in “eco-technology” to solve the problem of creating environmentally friendly properties instead of opting for “slick, highly marketed techno-fixes.”

France Says “Non” to Biofuel Tax Breaks

Adam Shake — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:48:39 +0000

Citing higher oil and grain prices, the French Government said it will phase out tax breaks for biofuels by 2012.

On Friday the French government dropped the hammer on companies like Sofiproteol — who owns the country’s largest biodiesel maker, Diester Industries. In a statement the government they said:

“The cost price of biofuels is no longer structurally disconnected from those of standard fuels. Tensions affecting agricultural raw materials have reached levels that no longer justify tax exemptions on the grounds of helping to provide outlets for farm production.”

In other words, the French government thinks that the rising price of oil and corn and grain has made the biofuels industry profitable enough to stop the tax breaks.

Increasing Tax Breaks for Public Buildings

Philip Proefrock — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:24:41 +0000

The IRS has had tax deductions in place through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which allow taxpayers to deduct the cost of energy-efficient equipment installed in commercial buildings they own. But publicly-owned buildings aren’t taxed, and therefore, there is no additional tax savings to the building owner. However, the law allows the designer of the energy-saving portion of a public building to claim the tax credit.