WIND GENERATES U.S. JOBS, REVENUES

American Wind Energy Association Response to American University Study/ABC World News Story
February 11, 2010 (American Wind Energy Association)

"ABC World News aired a story on February 9 based on a report by the American University purporting to show how stimulus, or Recovery Act, funds were being used to create jobs overseas. Their story could not be further from the truth. The Recovery Act funds have actually saved jobs and provided an economic stimulus to communities all across America…[There are a number] of inaccuracies and distortions…"

[ABC/AU:] "But the study found that nearly 80 percent of that money has gone to foreign manufacturers of wind turbines." [Fact via AWEA:] "100% of Recovery Act money goes to wind projects built in the US. The convertible tax credit program referenced above does not go to turbine manufacturers. Every penny of the money from the Recovery Act is provided as a tax credit for investment in American wind projects built in the U.S. Over 50 percent of turbine value, such as towers, blades, nacelle assembly, and some internal components are made in the US."

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[Russ Choma, Investigative Reporting Workshop, American University via ABC/AU:] "Most of the jobs are going overseas..." [Fact via AWEA:] "Not true. Jobs in construction, transportation, civil and electrical engineering, and operations and maintenance are American and cannot be outsourced. Jobs in these areas were created and saved as a direct result of the Recovery Act and we have substantiated that. The reporter from AU provided no evidence of jobs created elsewhere."

[ABC:] "Even with the infusion of so much stimulus money, a recent report by American Wind Energy Association showed a drop in U.S. wind manufacturing jobs last year." [Fact via AWEA:] "Jobs increased in wind farm development and decreased in manufacturing ending the year with no losses overall in the industry. Were it not for the Recovery Act, we estimated a loss of as much as 40,000 jobs."

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[ABC/AU:] "Several of the large European turbine manufacturers had limited manufacturing facilities in the United States. One reason so much money is going overseas is that there is not much of a wind power industry in the United States." [Fact via AWEA:] "The U.S. wind industry employs approximately 85,000 workers. In 3 years, we went from 2 turbine manufacturers with facilities in the U.S. to 9 and 4 more have announced plans for factories here. It takes time to ramp up an industry, but the US wind industry been going at full-speed since 2005 and prior to the financial crisis, adding, expanding or announcing over 55 new manufacturing shops in 2008…"

"…[Wind industry representatives requested bu] were not given the opportunity to refute [the story’s inaccuracies and distortions]…The Real Story…is [it’s] about time that we start attracting investment to make America #1 in wind energy jobs, production and manufacturing…Governors and economic development offices around the country know that and are reaching out to wind farm developers and turbine manufacturers to attract wind turbine investment and factories because they know it will mean jobs for their constituents…"