FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Erin Bzymek, 202-706-6916, erinb@bluegreenalliance.org
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 21, 2012) In light of the announcement of another round of layoffs in the wind industry by Clipper Wind Power earlier today—many of which are directly attributed to the lack of Congressional action to renew the Production Tax Credit for wind energy set to expire at the end of the year—Mark Schauer, the BlueGreen Alliance’s Jobs21! National Co-Chair, released the following statement:

“Members of Congress must stop sitting on their hands. Over 1,000 American workers have already been laid off and 36,000 more in the wind industry will be if politics are not put aside and the Production Tax Credit is not renewed.

“The job losses keep adding up. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 167 jobs lost; 234 jobs in Little Rock, Arkansas; 30 jobs in Hinesburg, Vermont; 90 jobs in Pueblo, Colorado; 165 workers at two plants in Pennsylvania have been furloughed and now just today Clipper Wind Power announced layoffs for 174 out of 550 of its workers across the country.

“Gridlock in Congress has prevented progress on extending the Production Tax Credit—a tax credit equal to 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of power a wind farm produces—bringing the break neck speed growth in the wind industry to a screeching halt.

“We call on Congress to announce a vote on this important measure to prevent thousands more workers receiving a pink slip and not a paycheck in the weeks and months ahead. Job one, on day one Congress is back from recess in September should be passing this tax incentive that will save and create thousands of good jobs. It’s a no-brainer.”

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The BlueGreen Alliance is a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy. Launched in 2006, the strategic partnership now brings together major U.S. labor unions and America's most influential environmental organizations and unites more than 15 million members and supporters in pursuit of good jobs, a clean environment and a green economy. Visit www.bluegreenalliance.org.