GOVERNOR CULVER UNVEILS NEW OBAMA WIND JOBS CREATION PACKAGE

 

Governor Outlined Iowa’s Wind Growth and Discuss Why Obama is Best Candidate to Strengthen Iowa’s Wind Industry

 

Des Moines – Today, Governor Chet Culver unveiled Senator Barack Obama’s plan to create new wind jobs across Iowa and across the nation.  The Governor unveiled Obama’s plan during roundtable discussions at TPI Composites in Newton and Clipper Windpower in Cedar Rapids.  Congressman David Loebsack held a roundtable discussion to discuss the new plan at the Fort Madison library near Siemens Power Generation.

 

In addition, the Governor was joined by Wind Energy and Turbine Technology students from the Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa.  The Wind Energy and Turbine Technology program is the first in the state of Iowa and is critical towards helping meet the growing demand for skilled technicians who can install, maintain and service modern wind turbines.

 

“The outcome of this election is very important to the future of Iowa’s wind industry,” said Governor Culver.  “The wind industry has created more than 2,000 green-collar jobs in Iowa over the last two years, and Barack Obama has a detailed plan to further invest in wind energy and make wind energy a federal priority.”

 

Barack Obama’s Wind Jobs Creation Package includes:

 

• Requiring 10 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.  Barack Obama and Joe Biden will establish a 10 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 10 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2012.

 

• Extend the federal Wind Production Tax Credit (PTC) for 5 years.  Extending the federal Wind Production Tax Credit for five years will encourage the industry to grow and increase production of renewable energy.

 

• Invest in a Smart Grid.  Barack Obama and Joe Biden will pursue a major investment in our national utility grid using smart metering, distributed storage and other advanced technologies to accommodate 21st century energy requirements: greatly improved electric grid reliability and security, a tremendous increase in renewable generation and greater customer choice and energy affordability.

 

• Double Farm Bill funding for wind programs.  The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) – expanded in the 2008 Farm Bill – built on the successful Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency incentives for locally-owned wind power, biofuels, energy efficiency, solar energy and other clean energy projects like methane digesters.  Demand for this program far exceeds available funding by about a three to one margin. To close that gap, Barack Obama and Joe Biden propose doubling this program to increase incentives for locally-owned wind power.

 

“According to recent statistics, Iowa is has once again moved up into third in the nation in wind energy production,” continued Governor Culver.  “Iowa’s1400 towers produce over 1000 Megawatts of clean energy – which is equivalent to taking 700,000 cars and their emissions off the road.  Barack Obama has a record of supporting Iowa’s wind industry, and he has a plan to strengthen it and create quality green-collar jobs throughout Iowa and the nation.”

According to a recent report released from AWEA, Iowa once again ranks third, behind Texas and California, in “Megawatts of Installed Utility-Scale Wind Power” with 1,375 MW.  Earlier statistics had shown Minnesota ahead of Iowa in wind power. [http://awea.org/pubs/factsheets/Market_Update.pdf]

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 8, 2008

 

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