Tell Congress: Fight for Wind Power!

This is a no brainer!  There is no legislative action more immediately necessary in terms of getting the U.S. off fossil fuels and moving quickly into the clean energy future we need than renewing the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy, which otherwise will expire on December 31. The PTC provides tax incentives for wind energy generation specifically for American jobs and American manufacturing. Without it, wind energy is simply not cost competitive with power from fossil fuels, like natural gas.

Although the President has stated his strong support for the extension of the PTC, and it also has some bi-partisan support from states with existing wind energy businesses, the fossil fuel industries, in alliance with Tea Party Republicans, have bitterly fought renewal of the credit and, as a result, wind projects have been put on hold or cancelled and workers already are losing their jobs.  The failure to renew this credit by the end of the year will cause a substantial decrease in the addition of new wind energy generation in the U.S. next year and an estimated loss of 37,000 American jobs.

Wind energy is not pie-in-the-sky. Germany got  20% of its energy from wind and solar in 2011.  Bill McKibben of 350.org stated recently that, according to statements by the German energy minister, they will be at close to 50% by 2020.  Scotland is at 35% now and has now revised targets to get 50% of its energy from renewables by 2015!  In the first half of 2011, the U.S. was at 12.25%. These other countries are leaving us, literally, in the dust and smoke.

There is hope.  According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 100% of  new energy generation in the U.S. in September came from non fossil fuel sources, two thirds of that from wind.  But such progress cannot continue without your help.
We cannot get to a future with less carbon and no fracking without building the alternative now and we need the jobs.

Call President Obama and tell him that passage of the wind PTC must be a priority of the “lame duck” Congress. Call your Senators and your Representative and ask them to lead on getting the PTC passed now.

White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Senator Chuck Schumer: 202-224-6542
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: 202-224-4451
Find your Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

You also can sign on to petitions by CREDO Action and the Sierra Club:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/wptc/
https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=8744