Markey: New Wind Numbers Blow Past Expectations, Showing Huge Potential

Capacity Grew 39 Percent in 2009 Following Recovery Act Investments

America’s capacity to generate electricity from wind grew by 39 percent in 2009 due in large part to investments from the Recovery Act, new numbers from the American Wind Energy Association showed today. The growth, even in the face of a recession, shows the huge potential for clean energy once policies like a renewable electricity standard are put in place.

"In 2009, America’s wind capacity grew by nearly 40 percent – blowing past the expectations that existed prior to the passage of the Recovery Act," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill. "These numbers show the potential for growth in clean energy, if only our country will make a commitment to these technologies."

The wind industry pointed to the billions of dollars in the Recovery Act for clean energy as a driver for the gains in capacity in 2009, but that policies were still needed to encourage long-term growth, including a renewable electricity standard. The Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill that passed the House of Representatives in June would promote the deployment of clean energy technologies through a 20 percent renewable electricity standard, 5 percent of which can be met by energy efficiency.

"These are impressive short-term gains, but we need to put federal policies in place to generate long-term growth in clean energy technologies that can create more jobs in America’s manufacturing and steel industries," said Rep. Markey. "We need to be making wind turbines that say ‘Made in America’ instead of importing barrels of oil that say ‘Made by OPEC.’"

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