According to a report released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), BlueGreen Alliance and the United Steelworkers (USW), the U.S. wind industry can create tens of thousands of additional jobs in the manufacturing of wind turbines and components if the U.S. passes long-term policies that create a stable market for the domestic wind energy supply chain.
‘This 'manufacturing blueprint' is a critical step toward ensuring that we don't replace our dependence on foreign oil with a dependence on Chinese-made wind turbines,’ says Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. ‘With the right policies, clean energy will help revitalize American manufacturing. We must ensure that American manufacturers have the resources they need to build clean wind energy components, and by doing so, help establish America as a global leader of clean energy technologies.’
‘Winds of Change: A Manufacturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry’ highlights growth for the U.S. wind industry despite the absence of a long-term and stable market for wind energy or policies to support wind's manufacturing sector.
While the growth in wind energy manufacturing has been steady – growing from 2,500 workers in 2004 to 18,500 in 2009 – tens of thousands of additional jobs manufacturing wind turbines and components – such as towers, gearboxes and bearings – could be created with policies that establish a long-term, stable market and support the manufacturing sector's transition to the wind industry, according to the report.
The report follows a recent announcement by AWEA and USW on a ‘framework agreement’ to accelerate the development and deployment of wind energy production in the U.S. The report recommends a federal renewable electricity standard of 25% by 2025 with meaningful mid-term targets, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and policies specifically aimed at building the U.S. wind energy manufacturing sector.
Along with the RES, specific policies aimed at building the wind manufacturing sector include extending and strengthening the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's convertible tax credit program (Section 1603), fully funding the Green Jobs Act, building a transmission grid infrastructure to meet the demand for clean energy and utilizing loan-guarantee programs for commercial manufacturing of clean energy.
In addition, the report recommends passing Brown's Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act, which creates a state-level revolving loan fund to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers retool for clean energy markets and adopt energy-efficient manufacturing.
The report also recommends extending and strengthening the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit with specific incentives and accountability provisions to maximize domestic job creation, including giving the highest priority to projects that manufacture clean energy component parts.
SOURCE: American Wind Energy Association
