Despite millions in tax credits, wind energy firms aren’t hiring
Despite the Obama administration’s efforts to create jobs making wind turbines in America, some companies say that sluggish demand for wind energy is holding them back.
The U.S. installed more wind power last year — 9,900 megawatts, or enough to power 2.4 million homes — than in any other year.
The growth in wind farm installations in the U.S. was a product of federal stimulus spending. Nonetheless, wind equipment manufacturers cut as many as 2,000 jobs last year. According to the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group, the drop in U.S. jobs is due, in part, to the lack of a long-term national policy that would require a certain percentage of American electricity to come from renewable sources.
About half the wind turbines installed in the U.S. were made overseas.
A check with some of the companies that want to get into the wind manufacturing business found that even some that qualified for clean-energy manufacturing tax credits aren’t able to create jobs quickly because they don’t see enough demand for wind energy.
Posted: February 9th, 2010 under Business • Jobs
Tags: Funding & Financial Incentives, Green Jobs & Employment
