FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 12, 2012
Contact: Maggie Kao, 202-675-2384
View the Ads:
Barletta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJZ65h91rc8
Heck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSxt6VsK-ZY Guinta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD8VpWo4T9o New Ads Call on Republicans to Protect Tens of Thousands of Wind Energy Jobs TV, Radio and Online Ads Target Reps. Barletta, Guinta and Heck ###
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Sierra Club launched a new series of high saturation television, radio and online ads, highlighting Republicans who have failed to act to renew the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy. The cable television and radio ads will run in the Eastern NH, Scranton PA and Las Vegas NV media markets over three weeks.
The ads are part of the Sierra Club’s Wind Works campaign aimed at renewing the wind energy Production Tax Credit and protecting tens of thousands of American jobs. The wind industry currently supports more than 75,000 jobs across the country, but if the PTC is not renewed by the end of the year, as many as half of these jobs could be lost. Already, layoffs have been announced in manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania and new wind installations have been delayed due to uncertainty around the PTC’s fate.
“With Americans working hard to make ends meet during this tough economy, 37,000 pink slips is the last thing working families need,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. “Manufacturing and wind installation jobs are at risk in states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Nevada and Congress must act now to renew the production tax credit and protect American workers.”
Wind power has quickly become one of the most important energy sources for the country. Wind power already supplies 25 percent more electricity to Americans than it did a year ago. States like Iowa and South Dakota generate 20 percent of their electricity from wind power, and the wind industry is on track to produce 20 percent of America’s electricity by 2030. More than 400 American manufacturing plants build wind components, and over 60 percent of a U.S.-installed turbine’s value is produced right here in America.
“Republicans in the House have the chance to be job creators, but they are just sitting by as jobs in the wind industry are being lost,” said Brune. “As our ads say, ‘Maybe they don’t care.’ It’s time for Rep. Barletta, Rep. Guinta and Rep. Heck to support American workers and stand up for American jobs by renewing the PTC this summer.”