New Dept. of Energy report on increased U.S. wind energy production

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)

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Senator Coons visits Baltimore Aircoil’s Milford plant

MILFORD — Senator Coons toured Baltimore Aircoil Company in Milford on Tuesday. Chris, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and a member of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, learned how this 70-plus year old company makes large commercial-size heating and cooling units like cooling towers, closed circuit cooling towers, evaporative cooling or ice thermal storage for commercial and industrial buildings.  

Chris was also very interested in a new product the company has developed that is extremely water efficient and perfect for arid climates like in Africa and the American Southwest.

“I was impressed to get a first-hand look at how Baltimore Aircoil Milford is working hard to make a quality product while keeping an eye toward energy conservation,” Chris said. “Baltimore Aircoil’s Milford plant has grown significantly since it was first built in 1974 — this is a testament to its quality workforce and product and to its investment in the surrounding community.”

In the past decade, domestic export sales for Baltimore Aircoil Milford have quadrupled. The facility spans 180,000 square feet and currently employs just over 400 people. Manufacturing capabilities include sheet metal fabrication, coil fabrication, thermoforming, powder coating and assembly. 

Baltimore Aircoil has offices and facilities around the world, and the Milford facility is one of their largest production centers.

You can read more about the visit here in the Milford Beacon.

Annie Coons says: “Let’s Move”

Annie Coons joined around a thousand children from across the state on Friday at Duffy’s Hope Field Day, hosted in conjunction with the Let’s Move initiative.  The event took place in Wilmington, an official Let’s Move city, and was the kick-off for Duffy’s Hope 10^th Anniversary Celebration.  Participants took part in field day activities, healthy lifestyle workshops and a celebrity softball game.

“Staying fit and active is extremely important to your health and well-being. It impacts every part of your life, and has even been proven to help students do better in school,” Annie said. “Let’s Move is a great initiative that is motivating kids to make smart choices, exercise, and have fun.”

Duffy’s Hope Field Day was hosted in conjunction with Let’s Move, a healthy eating initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama. Let’s Move targets childhood obesity and is committed to solving this challenge within a generation. By presenting parents helpful information and providing healthier foods in our schools, Let’s Move work so all families and children develop a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Duffy’s Hope Inc. is a nonprofit that has helped over 2,500 school-aged children. The organization targets underserved, impoverished, and at-risk youth in Wilmington, and provides advocacy and mentoring. The funds from Duffy’s Hope 10^th Anniversary Celebration weekend will support their mentoring program, H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Young People Excel).

Senator Coons applauds students in business competition

On Monday, Senator Coons spoke with members of the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge.  JA’s Titan Challenge is a global online simulation program involving 24 high school students and recent graduates who compete in a virtual economy. The teams of students, coming from China, Russia, Poland, Canada, and the U.S., act as chief executive officers of a virtual manufacturing company as they make business and ethical decisions in an attempt to outperform their competitors.

“JA’s Titan Challenge is about empowering students, allowing them to learn outside the classroom and helping them experience the business world while preparing for their future,” Chris said. “This is a great opportunity for like-minded students and community volunteers from all over the world to compete and learn from one another.”

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization and the world’s largest organization that has impacted over 4 million U.S. students with the help of over 178,000 volunteers. JA of Delaware recently received two prestigious awards at the JA National Leadership Conference.

NASA lands Curiosity rover on Mars

Like so many Americans, Chris watched with pride last night as NASA successfully landed its Curiosity rover on Mars. Here’s how it unfolded for him on Twitter.

The Senator’s week ahead schedule: August 6 to August 12

Monday, August 6 at 10:30 a.m. — The Senator will speak at the Junior Achievement Global Titan Challenge Business Ethics Symposium. The symposium will host 30 high school students and recent graduates from around the world to compete in a computer simulation curriculum where students compete in a virtual economy for highest retained earnings. Clayton Hall Conference Center, 100 David Hollowell Drive, Newark, DE – Open to press.

Tuesday, August 7 at 12:45 p.m. — The Senator will tour Dentsply Caulk.  A division of Dentsply International, the world’s largest professional dental products manufacturer, is located in Milford, Delaware. Senator Coons will meet with plant representatives and tour the site. 38 West Clarke Avenue, Milford, DE– Closed to press.

Tuesday, August 7 at 2:30 p.m. — The Senator will visit Baltimore Aircoil Company. For more than seven decades, Baltimore Aircoil Company in Milford, Delaware, has been dedicated to the development of innovative, cost-effective heat transfer solutions for its customers, establishing the company as a global leader of factory assembled evaporative heat rejection and thermal storage equipment. 1162 Holly Hill Road, Milford, DE– Open to press.

Tuesday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. — The Senator will attend the Delaware Electric Co-Op Annual Member Dinner. Delaware Electric Cooperative will hold its annual community fair and business meeting at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. During the meeting, members will have a chance to visit with various community organizations and hear an update on the state of the Cooperative from President and CEO Bill Andrew. 18500 South DuPont Highway, Harrington, DE

Wednesday, August 8 at 11:00 a.m. — The Senator will attend an event to celebrate the completion of the South Market Street Safety Improvement Project. The project began on September 8, 2010 to elevate the roadway out of the 10-year flood plan, put underground existing overhead utilities, and to construct sidewalks, pedestrian lighting and landscaping. Senator Tom Carper and Congressman John Carney will also attend. ShopRite Parking Lot, Christiana Crossing, 501 South Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE – Open to press.

Note: Schedule is subject to change.

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Senator Coons’ resolution condemning crimes of Joseph Kony passed by Senate

On Thursday, the full Senate unanimously adopted a resolution sponsored by Senator Coons, the chair of the Subcommittee on African Affairs, condemning the crimes against humanity committed by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“Joseph Kony and the LRA have terrorized Uganda and its neighbors in central Africa for more than two decades,” Chris said. “I applaud my colleagues for unanimously passing this bipartisan resolution condemning the crimes committed by the LRA and supporting ongoing regional efforts to bring Kony and top LRA commanders to justice once and for all.”

Chris’ resolution, Senate Resolution 402, supports the ongoing international efforts to remove Kony from the battlefield and calls for the U.S. to continue to enhance its mobility, intelligence and logistical support of regional forces protecting civilians and pursuing the LRA.

This bipartisan resolution, which Chris sponsored with Sen.  Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), was co-sponsored by 45 members of the Senate – nearly half the body. Following introduction, hundreds of Americans signed on as “citizen cosponsors” to show their support for efforts to stop Joseph Kony.

In April of this year, Chris chaired an African Affairs Subcommittee hearing on U.S. policy to counter the LRA. In June, he personally visited Uganda, where he thanked President Museveni for the efforts of the Ugandan military to root out the LRA and for the strong partnership between the U.S. and the Ugandan people. He also visited the northern Uganda community of Gulu, where the United States is supporting efforts to rebuild communities affected by the LRA. 

Senate passes Senator Coons’ resolution honoring Dr. Sally Ride

Senator Coons sponsored a resolution honoring the life and career of the first woman from the United States to fly in space, Dr. Sally Ride, who passed away in late July. Chris’ resolution was approved unanimously by the Senate on Thursday night.

“Sally Ride was inspirational, not only to young women, but to every American who has looked up with wonder and curiosity only the stars can inspire,” Chris said after the resolution passed. “Dr. Ride’s life’s work, like that of the shuttle program, was to inspire Americans to never stop searching for knowledge of our world, our universe, and ourselves. It’s a mission we all must carry out, and one that I am committed to helping fulfill. I’m glad my Senate colleagues came together last night to honor Dr. Ride with this resolution, and hope her memory will continue to persuade young Americans to search for answers in the sciences.”

The bipartisan resolution “expresses [the Senate’s] deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Sally Ride on her death; mourns the loss of Dr. Ride, a trailblazing pioneer who inspired millions of individuals, especially women and girls, to reach for the stars; and appreciates all of the contributions of Dr. Ride to science, physics, education, and human spaceflight.” 

Born, raised, and educated in California, Dr. Ride became a role model and hero when she launched her first mission in 1983, becoming the first American woman to enter low Earth orbit. After flying two shuttle missions and serving as a member of the Presidential Commission investigating the Challenger accident, she became a professor, and eventually started “Sally Ride Science” in 2001, a company dedicated to promoting new and exciting ways to engage elementary and middle school students with science at an early age.

What We’re Reading: New York Times on Senate cybersecurity bill

The New York Times published an editorial on Tuesday on the importance of increasing our nation’s cybersecurity. The article endorses the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, which would strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity to prevent cyber-crime and cyber-attacks.  Senator Coons has been a fierce advocate of this bill. He spoke three times in the last two weeks on the floor urging his colleagues to pass this critical legislation.   

Relentless assaults on America’s computer networks by China and other foreign governments, hackers and criminals have created an urgent need for safeguards to protect these vital systems. The question now is whether the Senate will provide them. Senator John McCain, a Republican of Arizona, and the Chamber of Commerce have already exacted compromises from sponsors of a reasonably strong bill, and are asking for more. Their demands should be resisted and the original bill approved by the Senate.

Click here to read the full article on The New York Times’ website.

Click here to watch Senator Coons’ most recent floor speech on cybersecurity.

Senators Coons, Carper highlight conservation accomplishments in Chesapeake Bay Watershed

SEAFORD, Del. – On Monday, Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper were joined by state officials and Seaford cattle farm owners Carlton and Jody Jones to highlight conservation accomplishments in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, working with farmers and other local stakeholders, has achieved historic levels of conservation implementation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed during the past two years, leading to water quality improvements, wildlife habitat enhancement and support of rural economies. 

NRCS helped Chesapeake Bay farmers and forest landowners voluntarily install conservation practices or actions on a total of 650,000 acres of working lands. Since 2004, NRCS has provided more than $500 million to help farmers install or apply conservation practices. Through the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI), and other Farm Bill programs, NRCS staff helped landowners to voluntarily implement over 60,000 new conservation practices in the watershed in 2011. 

“Voluntary conservation practices make a tremendous difference as we work to support our local farmers while protecting and sustaining our precious natural resources for generations to come,” Senator Coons said. “Delaware farmers continue to raise the bar when it comes to committing themselves to best management practices that protect and preserve the land they farm, as well as the natural resources that surround them. What has been accomplished in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed should not only be celebrated, but should also serve as a model for other areas in the state, region and the nation.”

NRCS staff has helped landowners voluntarily apply or construct nearly 300 waste storage facilities, over 150,000 acres of nutrient management to regulate nutrient application, and nearly 70,000 feet of terraces to prevent soil erosion.