AWEA - American Wind Energy Association

Wind power is already making a tremendous difference in the U.S. – providing clean, affordable, homegrown power to the equivalent of over 10 million homes, and employing 75,000 people across all states.  The U.S. wind industry has endured a boom-bust cycle of development over the past decade, though, as a result of the lack of long-term, predictable federal policies.  To lay a solid groundwork for wind industry growth, AWEA needs you – and all of your fellow supporters – to become active advocates for the wind industry.  Sign up to become a wind power advocate today! 

You have elected officials at the local, state and federal level who care about what you have to say – and will factor your opinions into their decision-making.  You have the power to speak up and let your officials know what issues matter to the wind industry, and what actions they can take to expand clean, affordable, homegrown wind energy in America.

Guide to wind power advocacy:

Subscribe to elected officials’ newsletters:  Most elected officials send newsletters to their constituents to inform them of their legislative priorities and upcoming town hall meetings.  Visit your Senators’ and Representative’s web sites to sign up for their newsletters.

Contact elected officials:  Constituents are encouraged to call or write to their elected officials.  AWEA's action page provides an easy way to e-mail your elected officials regarding the wind industry's top policy priority, the production tax credit (PTC) extension.

Meet with elected officials:  Your federal officials have offices both in Washington, DC and in your state.  Meeting your officials, or their staff members, in person is a great opportunity to begin to build strong relationships with them.  To set up a meeting, you must submit a meeting request letter to your elected official's scheduler.  A template meeting request letter can be found here.  If you are an AWEA member and you would like assistance in setting up meetings with your elected officials, please contact grassroots@awea.org.

Invite elected officials to tour a wind farm or wind energy manufacturing facility:  Hosting elected officials at your wind farm or manufacturing facility is a fantastic opportunity to educate them on the wind industry.  During the visit, the elected official will speak directly with your staff and gain perspective on the difference that your business is making in the state, and also give you the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your representative.  To set up a tour, you must submit an invitation letter to your elected official's scheduler.  A template invitation letter can be found here.  If you are an AWEA member and you would like assistance in arranging these tours, please contact grassroots@awea.org. 

Write editorials and letters to the editor:  Elected officials read their local newspapers to take the “pulse” of their constituents, or, in other words, get a sense of the issues that are of most concern to them.  Anyone can submit an op-ed or letter to the editor to a newspaper.  By submitting an op-ed, you can educate your community about wind power.  By submitting a letter to the editor, you can respond to a recent article that ran in the paper – either correcting a false statement about wind power, or expressing your support for an accurate wind energy article.  AWEA can help you with writing and submitting pieces to your local newspaper.  If you would like assistance in writing and submitting an editorial or letter to the editor, please contact grassroots@awea.org.

Attend town hall meetings:  Your federal officials will sometimes host meetings with constituents when they are at home in their state.  These meetings are good opportunities to demonstrate your interest and express your concerns or appreciation about legislation affecting wind energy.  The best way to ensure that you are aware of your representatives' town hall meetings is to sign up for their electronic newsletters.

Vote for elected officials who support wind energy:  Register to vote.  You have the power to cast votes for politicians who support the growth of wind power at the local, state and national levels.  In preparing to decide who to vote for, be sure to take the time to read over the candidates’ campaign web sites and research their stances on energy issues. 

Recruit friends and coworkers to become wind power advocates:  Many of your friends and coworkers likely share your interests and values.  Tell them about the work that you have been doing to advocate for the expansion of wind power in the U.S. and invite them to get involved too.  Your friends can sign up here, and can connect with AWEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and AWEA’s Into the Wind blog.