Senate finance committee advances wind energy production tax credit extension

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved a tax extenders package that includes a two-year extension of the wind-energy production tax credit.

The move was good news for Colorado, a state with a sizable wind-energy industry that is dominated by Danish turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OMX: VWS), which has factories in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo.

The credit gives producers of wind energy 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The extension would run through the end of 2016 because the last extension of the credit expired at the end of 2014.

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado hailed the finance committee’s approval. Bennet had…