How will the Government tax Alternative Energy?

Question

Sense the sun, wind, water, electricity, etc is free energy once it's captured, and there are no recurring payments to make, and people have the potential for being "off-the-grid", and they'll be no more refueling your car... how will the Government tax us?

If they don't tax it, where will the money come from to maintain roads, bridges, etc? I would think that they would have to make it up somewhere... right or wrong?

Answer 1

They will tax the miles you drive.  Every car will have a gps system that will let the gvmt know how much you drive on the roads.

Answer 2

There are two ways they would tax you, on a per mile tax. You would go to the DMV they would check your mileage and you'd pay a tax on the number of miles you've driven when you got you new plates.

The other way raise all taxes to cover the cost of the maintaining the roads, I'm betting that's the way they would go, they would show up every few years and say we need more money for the bridges, roads, etc then spend it on something else because it was in the general funds.

Answer 3

They would levy a delivery tax or production tax of $x.xx for each kilowatt hour produced by solar or wind energy.  Not a lot different than a sales tax really.

Answer 4

The government is very good at taxing us. They will think of a way.

The bio fuel still needs a distribution network, the taxes will be charged there.

Electricity will need to be stored some where or there will be none available at night if we rely on solar. Wind only produces electricity 25% to 35% of the time. The wind is either too slow or too fast. So we will need to buy electricity at some point even if we have our own solar voltaic panels. The tax will be charged then.

They could charge a highway tax at the time of purchase.

If we can put the power in the freeway itself they can charge us for both the electricity and the tax there.

Toll ways for electric vehicles is another. or toll lanes for EV's.

Don't worry they will get their due.

Answer 5

I'm reminded of a great quote from Ronald Reagan which would fit this too.

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."  

More has been done to kill an idea or industry because of taxing, then regulation.  Then it dies and suddenly it has to be revived.

Answer 6

Yes they are very belligerent about using gasoline meant for tractors in your car.