Wind Energy

Suzlon CEO sounds the call for jobs, RES By Chris Madison (AWEA)

"Only Congress can keep thousands of clean jobs from going abroad at a time when America’s economic recovery demands the creation of millions of new jobs. Lawmakers must pass a renewable-electricity standard that, like those abroad, would require utilities to obtain 15 percent to 20 percent of their electricity from wind power, solar and other alternative power sources by 2020."

We couldn’t say it any better than that, which is from an article by Andy Cukurs, Chief Executive, U.S. Operations, of Suzlon Energy Ltd.

Cukers points out that it will take a national renewable electricity standard (RES) to solidify and stabilize the demand for wind energy: "The national standard is critical because, without it, utilities are unwilling to clear long-term deals for renewable energy. While banks have begun again to do some project financing and the Energy Department is awarding grants for renewable-energy companies, those efforts aren’t sufficient to jump start the alternative-energy sector hit badly during the recession and the aftermath of the financial-markets crisis."

The hope now is that, with health care reform accomplished, Congress will complete work on the energy legislation they started last year, and include in it a strong RES.

By Chris Madison, AWEA, www.awea.org/blog/