OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed into law a bill extending tax incentives until 2018 to new engineers ,as well as their employers, in Oklahoma’s aerospace industry.
“The aerospace engineer tax credit has helped to create hundreds of new, high paying jobs for skilled Oklahomans,” said Fallin. “It’s also played a key role in maintaining Oklahoma’s position as an internationally recognized hub for aerospace business.”
The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission is proud of the state’s aerospace industry engineer tax credits and the new extension, as they were among the first to see the value and importance of drawing engineers to the state for the diverse companies that make up the state’s aerospace industry, the largest direct and indirect employer in Oklahoma.
Under the law, new engineers can get as much as $5,000 in state tax credits, which draws even more qualified professionals to Oklahoma.
At the same time, the state Senate now has before it a bill (SB1195) that will require meteorological evaluation towers, commonly referred to as MET towers, to have standardized orange and white paint, plus large “marker balls” on the guy wires. MET towers are placed in fields by companies hoping to see winds that could be high enough to support those massive wind turbines to supply electricity.
This new bill, which has already passed the state House of Representatives, will make it far easier for low-flying aircraft, such as aerial applicators, to see and avoid these large towers and their anemometers.