U.S. Senator Chris Coons praised a new U.S. Department of Energy report issued on Tuesday that highlights strong growth in the U.S. wind energy market in 2011, which supports tens of thousands of American jobs. The report also underscores the importance of continued policy support and clean energy tax credits to ensure that the manufacturing jobs associated with this booming global industry remain in the United States.
According to the 2011 Wind Technologies Market Report, the United States remained one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing wind markets in 2011. Wind power has constituted a remarkable 32 percent of all new electric capacity additions in the United States last year and accounted for $14 billion in new investment. The wind sector employs 75,000 American workers, according to industry estimates.
“Investments made in clean energy production not only protect our environment, they also protect and grow our economy,” Senator Coons said. “This report clearly demonstrates that the wind industry is a vital part of America’s clean energy production and supports tens of thousands of jobs across the nation.”
The report can be downloaded by clicking here: http://1.usa.gov/PU0IpB (PDF)
###