May 25 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Jack Z. Smith Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas



Make no bones about it: Leaders in the fast-growing U.S. wind power industry believe that their prospects for success are tightly intertwined with policy decisions made in Washington, especially by Congress.

The American Wind Energy Association, holding its annual national conference at the Dallas Convention Center, wants lawmakers to take three major actions to boost the industry's long-term prospects:

Adopt a "25 x '25" national renewable-electricity standard, calling for 25 percent of electricity to be from wind power and other renewable sources by 2025.

Approve a long-term extension of the production tax credit, which provides the wind industry a subsidy of 2.1 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity it generates. The credit will expire at the end of 2012 if no action is taken.

 Authorize a major expansion and modernization of the U.S. power grid to link wind farms, often located in remote rural areas, to major population centers, where power demand is heaviest.

About 20,000 wind industry professionals, government leaders and others are attending the conference, where former President George W. Bush is expected to speak at a general session at 8:30 this morning.

Denise Bode, the group's executive director, said Monday that the U.S. wind industry "is on the edge of explosive growth" but for that to become reality Congress must adopt a strong renewable-electricity standard, which could also be fulfilled with solar, geothermal and biomass energy.

"Congress, by not acting, is allowing our lighthouse to dim," Bode said.

States taking initiative

Some states are establishing strong renewables standards on their own.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said his state adopted its own 25 x '25 standard, although 90 percent of its electricity is now generated by coal.

"Ohio started out late, but we're catching up," he said. "Just last month, we issued permits for three new wind farms. We think Lake Erie has huge potential for wind."

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter said his state adopted a 30 percent renewables standard.

A bill pending in Congress calls for a 15 percent standard, but Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he favors a 20 percent standard by 2021. Dorgan, a longtime wind proponent, said he hopes that the House adopts the legislation this summer and moves it to the Senate.

Now is a favorable time for the U.S. to adopt enduring energy policies promoting wind and solar power, he said.

Inconsistent policy

Dorgan criticized Congress' on-again, off-again support for the production tax credit, saying the inconsistency makes it difficult for companies and investors in the wind industry to make long-range plans.

"We extended it six times. We stopped it three times. Nobody can rely on that," Dorgan said.

"You can't maximize renewable energy without building a modern transmission system," he added. "We need an interstate highway system for transmission. We need to be able to produce wind energy all across the country where the wind blows, and build a transmission system to get it to the load centers," areas with heavy power consumption.

With the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the wind association is seizing the moment to press for strong long-term federal incentives for the wind industry.

Wind "is pure, clean, abundant and protects consumers from fuel price volatility," Bode said.

She noted that Texas, the nation's top oil and natural gas producer, is also the runaway leader in installed wind generation capacity, at 9,506 megawatts.

"Texas is No. 1 in yet another resource, wind, and this one will never run out," she said.

JACK Z. SMITH, 817-390-7724

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