14 DAY TRIAL // Reports concerning US's wind power generation capacity inform us that, thanks to recently designed and implemented wind farm projects, the country can now take pride in the ways in which it harvests and puts this green energy source to better use.
More precisely, official figures indicate that wind energy production in the American states now revolves around a 50GW milestone, which is roughly the equivalent of having 44 coal plants or 11 nuclear plants up and running with the very same purpose: that of meeting the country's electricity demands.
However, as Business Green reports, it is quite likely that the development of the wind power industry in the US will come to a sudden halt should high officials decide to not extend the Production Tax Credit.
The same source quotes Denise Bode, chief executive for the American Wind Energy Association, who supposedly told the press that, “These truly are the best of times and could be the worst of times for American wind power."
Furthermore, "This month we shattered the 50-gigawatt mark, and we're on pace for one of our best years ever in terms of megawatts installed. But because of the uncertainty surrounding the extension of the Production Tax Credit, incoming orders are grinding to a halt.”
Apparently, this 50GW milestone was only hit because, fearing that the Production Tax Credit will no longer be in place once the year 2012 comes to an end, a relatively large number of household and business owners hurried to see their wind projects completed before new economic policies keep them from moving forward with their green-oriented plans.
Backing up parts of Denise Bode's statement, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley makes a case of how, “This milestone for wind-energy production marks continued success for this clean, renewable and domestically produced energy source.”
Hopefully, US's wind power industry will somehow manage to stay afloat with or without said Production Tax Credit in place, as its development helps both the environment, by cutting down on the country's ecological footprint, and national economy, by presenting American citizens with 'green' job opportunities.