###### Testimony of the

####### American Wind Energy Association

**before the**

**Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee**

###### The Honorable Jeff Bingaman, Chairman

**June 7, 2007**

**Prepared by Jaime Steve**

**Legislative Director**

**American Wind Energy Association**

Chairman Bingaman and members of the committee, my name is Jaime Steve
and I serve as Legislative Director for the American Wind Energy
Association (AWEA) based here in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Chairman, today's typical wind turbine can generate as much as two
megawatts of electricity, or enough power to meet the needs of about 540
households. It is also interesting to note that:

-   Texas is now the #1 wind-producing State in the nation, having
    recently surpassed California which held that claim for over 20
    years.

-   The Statue of Liberty's torch is powered through a purchase of wind
    energy.

-   Starbucks, Safeway, and Staples are all purchasing wind-generated
    electricity.

-   Examples of wind energy jobs include 500 workers building towers at
    Beaird Industries in Shreveport, LA and another 350 workers building
    towers at DMI Industries in West Fargo, ND.

-   Wind developers pay about \$5,000 per turbine, per year for 20 years
    in lease payments to hard-pressed farmers, ranchers and other land
    owners from Maple Ridge, NY to Abilene, TX. Wind projects also make
    significant contributions to the local tax base of many rural
    communities.

-   A single wind turbine avoids the same amount of carbon dioxide as is
    emitted by about 4,800 cars. Larger, offshore wind turbines can
    produce even more energy and offset even greater amounts of carbon
    dioxide.

These examples show that supporting wind energy means creating jobs,
spurring rural economic development, stemming global warming, and
enhancing our national energy security**.**

Land-based U.S. wind energy production has grown more than 22% annually
over the last five years. Currently, there are no existing U.S. offshore
wind energy projects, only a small number of proposals. Meanwhile, in
Europe hundreds of megawatts of wind turbines have been operating for
over ten years in waters near Denmark and the United Kingdom. If the
U.S. is to move forward and follow the European example, we must have a
coherent, timely, set of rules available so that project proposals are
not significantly delayed.

In April of this year the Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced a
delay in writing Congressionally-mandated regulations for offshore
renewable energy installations on the Outer Continental Shelf. The MMS
announced that the target date for the rulemaking -- initially set by
Congress for fall 2007 -- then slipped to fall 2008, adding a full year
to projects already on hold until the rulemaking is complete. While the
original 270-day time frame may have been unworkable for the agency,
this delay is equally unworkable for the offshore wind energy industry.

Offshore wind energy projects that were working under an already-long
permitting process are now pushed back an additional year. AWEA urges
the Minerals Management Service to move ahead as expeditiously as
possible to complete these important regulations so that clean,
renewable energy technologies can be deployed on a small part of our
nation's ocean resources.

Early indications from MMS documents, including the draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement published on March 16, 2007, found most
environmental impacts from potential offshore wind energy projects to be
negligible to minor. Offshore wind projects in Europe have been
intensively studied and have reached similar conclusions, but we can't
verify that here in the U.S. until projects actually move forward. That
can only happen when the MMS finishes its work. We hope that work can be
completed with haste and we stand ready, willing and able to assist
those efforts.

Thank you,

Jaime Steve

Legislative Director

American Wind Energy Association

1101 14^th^ Street, NW

12^th^ Floor

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-383-2506