Understandably, I've gotten an earful throughout the last year from Iowans concerned about the rising costs of energy. Whether it's prices at the pump or home heating bills, Iowans are watching energy expenses soak up a greater share of their monthly budgets. Harnessing the power of wind will help clamp down on energy shortages and soaring prices in the future. But the benefits go far beyond dollars and cents. In addition to the economic impact, wind energy bears promising environmental and national security gains for Americans.
Wind energy generates clean electricity right here at home.
Every 10,000 megawatts of wind energy produced in the U.S. can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 33 million metric tons by replacing the combustion of fossil fuels. This also helps insulate the United States from a restrictive overseas oil supply dominated by the Middle East. The nation's long-running energy dependence on foreign sources of fuel plays a dominant role in U.S. foreign policy and military strategies, adding layers of burden to American taxpayers. As a strong advocate for homegrown, renewable sources of energy, including ethanol, soy diesel and biomass, I sponsored the 1993 law that created federal incentives to give wind energy production a fighting chance to compete against traditional, finite sources of energy. Domestic wind energy capacity in the United States today generates more than 2,500 megawatts.