Electricity generated by the doubling of the U.S.’s crop of giant wind turbines in the past four years now equals the output of 11 nuclear power plants, according to the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group representing manufacturers and developers.
After a big build up since 2008, the U.S.’s total wind output currently totals 50,000 megawatts, or 50 gigawatts. That’s enough power to supply nearly 13 million American homes, or the equivalent of Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Virginia, Alabama and Connecticut combined.
The wind industry argues that more clean power and thousands of U.S. jobs could be at stake if Congress doesn’t extend the production tax credit, a federal tax break of 2.1 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity from turbines and other renewable sources.
The milestone comes as the wind industry continues its lobbying efforts behind the Production Tax Credit, which is set to expire at the end of the year. The Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate appears to be supportive of the measure, while the Republican-held House of Representatives appears less enamored with it.
Denmark-based Vestas Wind Systems /quotes/zigman/259415 DK:VWS says the U.S. turbine market could fall by as much as 80% in 2013 without the tax credit. Companies that make equipment for wind generation include General Electric Co. /quotes/zigman/227468 /quotes/nls/ge GE and Siemens /quotes/zigman/279102 /quotes/nls/si SI .
All told, the wind industry claims that 37,000 jobs are at stake and that some layoffs have already taken place in the supply chain.
– Steve Gelsi