Tag Archives: United States

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Wind Energy Information


by Aaron Severn
Director, Grassroots and Federal Legislative Affairs
American Wind Energy Association

 

I wanted to loop you in on the latest updates on American wind power.  The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently released its Annual Market Report for 2013, as well as its First Quarter 2014 Market Report.

So what’s new?

The U.S. wind industry did not install much wind power capacity in 2013, reflecting the impact of the policy uncertainty that the wind industry faced throughout 2012. 

The numbers were small:

  • 1,087 megawatts (MW) installed in 2013, compared to 13,131 in 2012 – a 92% drop in new capacity
  • Corresponding drop in investment, $2 billion into the US economy in 2013,  compared to $25 billion in 2012
  • Loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs – ending the year with 50,500 total wind industry jobs, as compared to 80,700 jobs at the end of 2012

In total, though, wind power is making impressive contributions to the U.S. electricity supply:
  • Wind now provides over 4% of our electricity nationally
  • Iowa and South Dakota get over 25% of their electricity from wind power; nine states get more than 10% and six states get more than 15% of their electricity from wind power

As you may recall, Congress allowed the PTC to expire at the end of 2012.  Then, our legislators extended the credit in early January 2013, allowing projects that started construction by the end of 2013 to qualify for the credit (rather than requiring that they be operational by the end of 2013, as  required in the past).  The uncertainty throughout 2012 caused wind project development to come to a halt, and manufacturing orders to cease, resulting in little development and significant job loss as noted above.

How’s this year looking so far?

The PTC extension in 2013 allowed developers to put plans back in motion.  As a result, 2014 is off to a great start:
  • Over 13,000 MW of wind power under construction – more than any other time in history – and including over 95 projects across 21 states
  • 214 MW of wind power installed so far — more than in the first three quarters of 2013
  • Utility companies and corporate purchasers continue to announce agreements to purchase wind power – they announced 8,000 MW of power purchase agreements in 2013, and about another 1,000 MW so far this year  

Is there a catch?

Yes – federal policy for the wind energy industry is still uncertain.  The PTC expired again, at the end of 2013.  Without an extension, the wind industry is looking at the prospect of near-term downturns in project development, and job layoffs as well.

The Senate Finance Committee has acted to extend the PTC, and a credit that developers can choose instead of the PTC, the investment tax credit (ITC).  They extended these provisions as part of the EXPIRE Act in early April.  The bill moves to the Senate floor for consideration next, and we will keep you updated on that front.  It will be important to weigh in with your Senators about the importance of extending the PTC through the EXPIRE Act.

Thanks, as always, for your support.  I encourage you to check out these resources if you’re interested in more information:

Sincerely,
Aaron

Aaron Severn
Director, Grassroots and Federal Legislative Affairs
American Wind Energy Association

 

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Jobs … Coming from Wind ~ a repost


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Tell Congress: Support pregnant workers … a repost


by Emily J. Martin

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching — but for some moms, celebrating is the last thing on their minds.

Because Congress has failed to act, some pregnant women might be spending this holiday facing an impossible choice between risking their health and risking their family’s economic security.

Tell Your Members of Congress
to Support Pregnant Workers

No mom-to-be should be forced to choose between risking her health and risking her family’s economic security this Mother’s Day. Write to your Members of Congress now.

Lots of pregnant women don’t need any changes on the job, but some do, and for them the stakes are high. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is commonsense legislation that would require employers to make reasonable accommodations when workers have a medical need for them because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions — just as employers are already required to do for people with disabilities.

Over the next several weeks, we’re turning the pressure up to raise awareness and take action in support of pregnant workers. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will be re-introduced in Congress soon. But to give it a strong start, we need to make sure we have as many co-sponsors on the bill as possible.

It’s time we turn it up a notch and push for what moms really need. Please take a minute to honor the mothers in your life by supporting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Thanks for all that you do.

Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin
Vice President and General Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

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Protect Voting Rights ~~ NAACP Petition ~~ History

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Wethepeople

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Sign our petition to Congress
Tell your representatives they must act NOW to protect voting rights

The Supreme Court just made a major decision that impacts voting rights for every American. In striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act — but leaving Section 5 untouched — there is no longer a mechanism in place to prevent states with a history of voter disenfranchisement from enacting such laws.

While this is a setback, it is by no means the end of the game. The Supreme Court’s decision gives Congress complete authority to ensure no person is denied the right to vote.

Communities of color, and young, women, elderly, and disabled voters are at risk. Tell Congress to take immediate action to protect the voting rights for millions of Americans. Sign our petition today.
www.NAACP.org

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Share This With A Mother In Your Life


By

Wishing Moms Everywhere A Happy Mother’s Day — With Progressive Policies!

It’s a fact of life that none of us would be anywhere without our moms. It’s also a fact of life that the Progress Report loves talking about progressive policies. So it’s natural, then, that on the Friday before Mother’s Day we will take the opportunity to share some of the reasons why our public policies lag behind for women and families — and why America’s mothers deserve better.

Here are five steps we can take right now:

1. Establish paid family and sick leave. Nearly all workers need to take time away from work to deal with a serious personal or family illness, or to care for a new child or aging parent. Access to paid family and medical leave could allow workers to meet those needs without jeopardizing their economic security. The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t guarantee workers the right to earn paid time off in some form; only 12 percent of U.S. workers have access to paid family leave through their employers. We need a national paid family and medical leave insurance program that allows workers to continue to earn at least a portion of their pay while they take time away from work: it’s good for families and its good for the economy, too.

2. Ensure equal pay for equal work. Women are the primary, sole, or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of families, yet they continue to earn less than their male counterparts, with Latinas and African American women experiencing the sharpest pay disparities. Although the law prohibits unequal pay for equal work, there is more we need to do to ensure that both women and men enjoy the fullest protections against discrimination. Unfortunately, despite overwhelming public support, conservatives in Congress continue to be unwilling to move forward concrete action steps that could help uncover discriminatory pay practices, create greater pay transparency, and ensure that the law works fairly for everyone.

3. Raise the minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage will help hardworking women better support their families. Women made up approximately two-thirds of all minimum wage workers in 2012. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which means someone working fulltime earns
$15,080 a year. That is below the poverty rate for a family of three. Progressives are stepping up on this issue: last week new legislation was introduced calling on Congress to raise the wage to $12 per hour and eliminate the sub-minimum tipped wage, a move that would boost earnings for 19.6 million women.

4. Require paid sick days. Everyone gets sick, but not everyone has time to get better. Almost 40 million U.S. employees, or about 40 percent of the nation’s private-sector workforce, do not have access to paid sick days. If employees choose to skip work, the loss of pay can take a toll, particularly on the low- income workers who are least likely to have access to these policies. Allowing employees to earn paid sick days helps keep our economy, families, and communities healthy.

5. Expand access to preventative healthcare. Make no mistake, health care — from affordable insurance coverage to reproductive freedom — is an economic issue. In a 5-4 decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, five conservative male justices on the Supreme Court gave unprecedented power to closely-held, for-profit, secular corporations to make health care decisions for their female employees. That needs to change — along with the minority of U.S. Senators who blocked a bill to overturn that decision. At the same time, conservative officials in some states continue to refuse to close the Medicaid coverage gap for low-income working families. In fact, it turns out Florida Gov. Rick Scott used his mother’s own death as a ruse in his political games to deny hundreds of thousands the right to affordable care.

Do you like what you are reading here? These and other important policy issues are part of a nationwide campaign called the Fair Shot campaign to help women and families get ahead. Check out the website here to learn more, and sign on to become a Fair Shot voter.

BOTTOM LINE: The mothers in our lives deserve the very best from us, and Mother’s Day is one easy way to show we appreciate them. But they also deserve the best from the employers and policymakers that can affect their ability to help their families succeed. Those officials who stand in the way should be more afraid than the child who forgets to call their mom this Sunday.