American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Statement on Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) & John Warner (R-Va.) Not-In-My-Backyard Anti-Wind Energy Amendment

The defeat last night by the United States Senate of an anti-wind energy amendment introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) “means more jobs and income in hard-pressed rural areas, cleaner air, less acid rain, and more energy security,” said American Wind Energy Association Executive Director Randall Swisher.

By making the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) unavailable for projects built within 20 miles of a coastline or hundreds of other specific locations, the Alexander-Warner amendment would have caused thousands of workers to lose their jobs, usurped local land use planning, and severely restricted wind development throughout the U.S., specifically in areas where local residents want wind turbines.

Lamar vs. Lamar
In a June 13 letter, the Mayor of Lamar, Colo. wrote to Sen. Lamar Alexander, “On behalf of the citizens of Lamar, Colorado, I am expressing our disapproval and outrage of your proposed amendment to the energy bill. We have the fifth largest wind farm located just 20 miles south of our city … I doubt that any other energy source can claim to have such a minimal impact on the land as these wind farms …”

Wind Projects Already Undergo Numerous Environmental and Siting Reviews
Wind energy projects are currently planned and built in an environmentally responsible way and must comply with numerous local, state and federal environmental and siting reviews. The main project being attacked by Sens. Alexander and Warner (the proposed Cape Wind project, offshore Massachusetts) is currently required to comply with environmental reviews by 17 different local, state and federal agencies.

By the end of this year wind energy projects in over 30 states will supply clean, homegrown electricity equivalent to the needs of over 2.3 million households (or 6 million people).

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AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org

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