http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/24/news/economy/stimulus_wind/index.htm
Thanks to the stimulus, renewable energy companies like First Wind are able to build plants and run projects. Before the stimulus, renewable energy developments were funded by big banks, but since the economic recession, the fundings froze. Stimulus changed the situation by changing the tax credit to an outright government grant, and the renewable energy industry was saved.
There is always a tradeoff between economic growth and environmental protection. I'm glad to see that the renewable energy industry is still working fine under the economic recession.
It is both economically interesting and ecologically comforting that a lot of the stimulus package efforts have payed off in the renewable energy sector. I agree with the current governments outlook on renewable energy and its efforts to fund such programs. I do not necessarily agree with the trade off that was mentioned between economic growth and environmental protection with regards to renewable energy in the above review though. In my opinion government spending on such things would only help the economic situation of the country especially with the mpc and consumer confidence visibly low, while improving environmental protection and betterment as well. In fact government spending on industries such as renewable energy will in my opinion actually do better for the economy in this current crisis than offering similar expansionary monetary and fiscal policies such as tax breaks in the existing economy.
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