As a leading source of emission-free electricity, wind energy will help deliver on the national commitment to slow dangerous climate change which President Obama announced yesterday in a major address at Georgetown University.
“We welcome the President’s initiative to proceed with climate actions focused at this time on executive agencies. AWEA supports policies to achieve science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. “Since wind energy is a leading zero-carbon source of electric power, we’re ready to do our part – especially since wind turbines can be deployed in a matter of months, and wind power is rapidly scaling up to make a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”
Generating 20% of U.S. electricity from wind, a target which the wind industry is on track to reach by the year 2030, will be the climate equivalent of removing 140 million vehicles from the roadways.
“Wind energy is among the readily deployable options for which there is no need to wait,” Kiernan added. “Large-scale wind energy was invented in America, and today American workers make nearly 70% of the equipment deployed here. And wind power is more affordable than ever, protecting electric consumers with 25-year contracts and no risk of fuel price shocks.”
Already, during 2013, operating U.S. wind projects will avoid nearly 98.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of reducing power sector emissions by 4.4%, or taking over 17.4 million cars off the road.
Increasing renewables – and wind energy in particular – is creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and expanding a new U.S. manufacturing sector, as well as saving consumers and federal taxpayers money.
Purchases by electric utilities, industrial customers, and communities made wind energy the leading source of new electric generation in America last year, at 42%, ahead of all other power sources.
AWEA
www.awea.org
Filed Under: News, Policy
