Green Energy in America - Time for a Governmental Commitment

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Tehachapi, California. 700MW of green energy.
Tehachapi, California. 700MW of green energy.

Green Energy in America - Time for a Governmental Commitment

The time is now.

I am an unapologetic supporter of Wind Power. I believe that America should embrace this form of energy in a big way. As of June 30, 2012 the U.S. had 49,800 MWs of installed operational wind power. That is roughly the same amount of energy that would be produced by 44 coal burning electrical plants. While it is an impressive figure it is important to remember that wind power supplies roughly 3.2% of all electrical energy produced in America. It may be possible to have wind power supply 20% of all the electrical energy America needs. However, to achieve that goal America (specifically, the government) simply must commit to green energy.

America is a country with thousands of miles of coastline, yet we still do not have one offshore wind farm. That might change in 2014 as construction is planned to begin on a small 30 MW demonstration wind farm off of Rhode Island. It is described as a demonstration project because it will only consist of 5 turbines and is representative of the 3 larger 1000MW farms the company hopes to build beginning in 2017. Now, 2017 is a long ways off and whether or not these farms are ever built is of course uncertain. What is certain, however, is that every year that passes without offshore wind power is one more year of using fossil fuels and contributing to climate change.

Right now we have mountaintop coal mining destroying the environment and making the drinking water poisonous for millions. Right now we are having man made earthquakes as a result of fracking. Right now we are building pipelines to import the filthiest oil on the planet so we can burn it in our refineries. Right now we are experiencing the hottest temperatures recorded in modern history. Right now is the time to get serious about green energy.

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Some green energy projects of note.

http://www.powercompanyofwyoming.com/news/alerts/2012/100912-project-aut...

Interior Department authorizes construction the largest wind farm in America. Construction on the 3000MW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy site in Wyoming will begin next year.

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20121013/BUSINESS0302/310130021/Streamli...

Two very large solar power projects are currently under construction, one is 550MW and the other is 250MW.

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Well Congress is getting set to let their tax credit expire...

triv33's picture

Wind power has been an electricity-producing and job-creating success. But when it comes to the wind, Congress seems prepared to blow all opportunities.

Development of the wind power industry has been driven by a 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour subsidy known as the production tax credit, which is worth about $1 billion a year. The credit will expire Dec. 31 unless Congress renews it.

With the credit in place since 2005, due to broad bipartisan support, the number of component manufacturers has grown from one to nine, employing 85,000 people in 400 plants nationwide. The percentage of each turbine that is made in the Untied States has grown to 60 percent from 25 percent. Due to uncertainty over the credit's future, there have been 10,000 layoffs in the industry, including hundreds in Pennsylvania. At the Gamesa plant in Fairless Hills, a converted steel mill, hundreds have been laid off despite the company's development of a turbine that captures low-speed wind, creating the opportunity to expand wind power development into new areas.

http://thedailyreview.com/opinion/on-wind-jobs-pols-blow-it-1.1378124

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the wind tax credits need to be renewed

sartoris's picture

I believe that tax policy can be used to create positive outcomes and the wind credits are a tax credit that needs to be renewed. There are far too many jobs at stake to just let these expire while the oil companies are given more generous tax credits. The government does not even hold accountable the coal companies for the environmental damage caused by their mining, so why punish the wind industry by not renewing the tax credits? It's just a question of priorities and our priorities are worse than Lindsey Lohan's at 3:00 AM on a Saturday night.

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