Blowing in the Wind:
A Clean, Renewable, and Cost-Competitive Energy Technology

Wednesday, June 4, 2003
1:30 – 3:00 pm, 2105 Rayburn House Office Building

 The House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses, the Sustainable Energy Coalition, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) sponsored a Congressional briefing showcasing the fastest-growing energy source in the world:  wind energy.  This clean, renewable energy technology provides increasingly cost-competitive electricity for consumers, spurs significant rural economic development, and emits zero harmful emissions.  Wind energy is inexhaustible, abundant, and domestic; North Dakota alone has enough wind resources to satisfy all of the United States’ electricity needs.  As the Congress continues debate on a comprehensive energy bill, the continued and timely federal support of this exciting industry will play a crucial role in realizing the industry’s vast growth potential.  According to wind industry officials, the extension of the current production tax credit is essential for the continued growth of the wind industry, which has grown 24.5 percent per year on average for the last five years.  Discussing this and other vital policies that are currently before the Congress, and the wind technologies they will benefit, were the following panelists:   

 Briefing Panel:

Ø      Michael Bergey, President & CEO, Bergey Wind
   Presentation (P.1)    Presentation (P. 2)

Ø      Peter Mandelstam, President, Arcadia Windpower LTD

Ø      Bob Morrison, Renewable Energy Systems (RES)

  Wind energy resources can be found throughout the United States.  While California gave birth to the modern U.S. wind industry, 16 states have greater wind potential.  Installed wind energy facilities currently produce less than 1 percent of U.S. electricity generation, roughly 11.2 billion kilowatt hours (kWh).  By contrast, the total amount of electricity that could potentially be generated from wind in the United States has been estimated at 10,777 billion kWh annually – three times the total amount of electricity generated in the United States today.  With continued federal government support, this high-potential, clean energy source will provide at least six percent of the nation’s electricity by 2020, all the while providing economic development opportunities for rural communities and farms. 

 As measured by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, the top 20 states for wind energy potential are:

 For more information about the briefing, please contact JR Drabick at EESI at 202-662-1886 or jrdrabick@eesi.org