Grassley said experts have established wind energy's valuable contributions to maintaining cleaner air and a cleaner environment. Every 10,000 megawatts of wind energy produced in the United States can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 33 million metric tons by replacing the combustion of fossil fuels, Grassley said. Nationwide, more than 900 megawatts of new wind energy capacity was added just last year, bringing wind energy generating capacity in the United States to more than 2,500 megawatts, Grassley said. The new capacity alone will power the equivalent of more than 240,000 homes. Equally important, wind energy increases U.S. energy independence, thereby providing the United States with insulation from an oil supply dominated by the Middle East, Grassley said.
National security is threatened by a heavy reliance on oil from abroad.
Grassley said the price of wind energy has been reduced more than 80 percent in the past two decades, making it one of the most affordable types of renewable energy. To continue this investment in America's energy future, Congress must extend the production tax credit, Grassley said. Wind energy also has vast potential to contribute to California's electricity supply, Grassley said. California is suffering because of an energy market with insufficient energy generation and production that is overly dependent on natural gas. Grassley said just in the past few weeks, plans have been unveiled to develop what will be the world's two largest wind power plants in the Northwest.