SUPPORT FOR ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY PRODUCTION

WHEREAS last year wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America; and

WHEREAS this metric is proof that the renewable energy sector is capable of boosting economic growth while enhancing our energy supply; and

WHEREAS when it comes to America’s energy future, we should be doing everything we can to generate as much of our power from domestic sources as possible; and

WHEREAS, America needs a secure and diverse supply of home-grown energy resources to power the nation; and

WHEREAS the Center for American Progress, the Clean Energy States Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative commissioned a study from the Brattle group to investigate the costs and benefits of developing commercial-scale offshore wind industry and found there is great value in investing in offshore wind energy development; and

WHEREAS despite this booming expansion of onshore renewable energy facilities, the United States still lags industrialized countries when it comes to development of an offshore wind industry; and

WHEREAS, America’s cities, with their complex infrastructure, are major consumers of power; and

WHEREAS, America’s cities need new sources of job growth to reduce high unemployment rates that persist in many of the nation’s urban areas; and

WHEREAS the Obama Administration has expressed its intention to close the gap in offshore wind capacity by developing 54 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 – more than 10 times the amount currently installed worldwide – and has begun taking proactive steps to achieve this target; and

WHEREAS, the development of the wind energy industry including, the offshore wind energy industry, has great potential to become a new sector that can add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and employ tens of thousands of highly-skilled, local workers; and

WHEREAS, the role of wind energy continues to grow, having provided 42% of all new U.S. power capacity last year – more than any other energy source; and

WHEREAS, wind energy is developing an impressive record of job creation with fully 92% of wind turbines installed in the U.S. last year built by companies with manufacturing facilities in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the Obama Administration and Congress recently agreed to an extension of the wind energy production tax credit which is vital to the long-term growth of the wind energy industry,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports greater federal, state and local investment in the development of wind energy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports a continuation of the wind energy production tax credit for as long as necessary to secure the long-term viability of the domestic wind energy industry, including the offshore wind energy industry.