For
More Information Contact:
Hans
Detweiler, Manager
of State Legislation,
American
Wind Energy Association, 202-527-2509
(cell)
Three major companies that
are active wind energy developers around the country today sought the
assistance of Gov. Ted Strickland in passing renewable energy legislation that
includes vital near-term benchmarks that would foster renewable energy
development in the Buckeye
State.
Legislation recently
proposed by Representative Jim McGregor and Ohio Speaker of the House Jon
Husted, HB 487, includes such benchmarks, with goals for renewable energy
development beginning with one-quarter of one percent in 2009 and ramping up to
2.5% in 2014 and 12.5% in 2024. The
goals for the 2009-2014 period are considered vital by developers seeking to
build projects in Ohio
during that timeframe.
The three developers,
Horizon Wind Energy, Iberdrola Renewables, and Invenergy Wind, LLC, are three
of the largest developers of wind energy projects around the U.S. Each indicates in a separate letter to Gov.
Strickland that it has access to wind turbines and the ability to bring
billions of dollars of new investment to Ohio
if the legislature acts to create a market.
Creation of a market for the
wind industry in the immediate several-year period is also a key step to help
bring wind-related manufacturing jobs to the state—jobs from an industry which
experts say will be one of the largest sources of new manufacturing jobs in the
21st century.
In 2007, nearly 30% of all
new electric generating capacity installed across America was wind generation,
representing over $9 billion in new investments just last year. Wind energy trailed only natural gas as the
leading source of new generating capacity nationwide, and placed first among all
energy sources in new capital investment.
Wind manufacturers also announced new facilities creating about 6,000 new
jobs. In Ohio, however, no new wind energy projects
were built in 2007, and no major new wind manufacturing facilities were
announced.
“If Governor Strickland and
the Ohio Legislature act to create a market for the wind industry in the vital
period of the next several years, the wind industry is ready to invest billions
of dollars in Ohio,”
said Hans Detweiler, Manager of State Legislation for the American Wind Energy
Association.
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