Pandemic Puts 1/3 of Wind Industry Jobs, $43B in Investments at Risk

Coronavirus / Industry News

March 20, 2020

Pandemic Puts 1/3 of Wind Industry Jobs, $43B in Investments at Risk

Almost a third of U.S. industry jobs and $43 billion in industry investments could be at risk from the pandemic, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

The wind industry employs more than 114,000 workers, and 35,000 of those jobs are endangered.

AWEA reported that 25 gigawatts’ worth of projects are threatened, which is more than half of all U.S. wind projects under construction or in advanced development.

Wind advocates, clean energy industries, and environmentalists are asking Congress for a two-year extension of tax credit deadlines, along with a “direct pay” mechanism that would allow project owners to collect federal payments instead of the credits. The production tax credit for wind is scheduled to phase out at the end of this year.

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