This is What 37,000 Layoffs in the Wind Industry Looks Like

Stephen Lacey, Climate Progress
July 17, 2012 | 6 Comments

Here's a chart that voters in the Midwest probably aren't going to like:

This graphic, put together by the wind industry, illustrates how an expiration of the production tax credit may impact employment in the U.S. Notice the spike in activity before the drop-off. That’s due to the rush of development we’re seeing currently in the lead up to the lapse of the credit. But even if the credit is extended at the end of the year, it looks like 2013 will be a poor year for installations. Developers need a lead-time of about 18 months, so many of them have put projects on hold without any clarity on if the credit will be extended. That’s why we’re already seeing manufacturers lay people off.

This article was originally published on Climate Progress and was republished with permission.

6 Comments

ANONYMOUS
July 18, 2012

I'd imagine that the loss of even one job, if it's your job, can be devastating. But we should also put things in perspective. The total US workforce has shrunk by almost 2 million since 2008. And to make things worse, the US workforce needs to increase by over 100,000 jobs per month just to keep pace with population growth. So in comparison, losing 37,000 jobs is not that significant on a purely statistical basis. While I would personally love to see the commercial US wind business prosper, I don't want it to happen at the expense of taxpayers.

If loss of US domestic jobs due to cuts in federal spending is your primary concern, then you should be more focused on the job losses due to defense cuts. The dollar amounts and related job losses due to recent US defense budget cuts is many times that of the renewable energy sector.

We in the renewable energy business need to work harder at improving RE tech such that it becomes truly cost competitive in the free market. Rather than whining and complaining about the loss of government handouts.

ANONYMOUS
July 18, 2012

The public goes along believing people like Cliff-Claven with his 2.8B in oil subsidies, when in fact, the number is between 2x and 5x that: http://priceofoil.org/fossil-fuel-subsidies/

And yes, the public believes the oil industry and the media that is overwhelmingly owned by conservatives in that we don't need to do anything about our energy policy (other than destroy renewables) cuz after the oil runs out, then the perpetual motion machines will magically be brought to market by the magical invisible hand.

Cliff Claven
July 18, 2012

Unfortunately most Americans have chosen not to educate and inform themselves and instead rely upon green-washed media talking heads and snake-oil salesmen peddling perpetual motion machines to fill their head with physically impossible energy fantasies. The federal government gets $36B a year in oil company corporate income taxes and $32.7B a year in gasoline and diesel excise taxes paid by consumers. All subsidizes and tax breaks to oil and gas companies total $2.8B per year. For the federal government, that works out to $6.55 per barrel of crude oil in revenue for a payout of 27 cents per barrel in subsidies (less than 1/2 cent per gallon at the pump). Who is subsidizing whom? In contrast, renewables get direct financial assistance totaling $14.7 billion per year. This works out to $10.46 per barrel of oil energy output for biofuels, $31.33 per barrel equivalent for wind, and $59.60 per barrel equivalent for solar. When the outrageous subsidies for biofuel, wind, and solar finally (and inevitably) go away, it is no surprise that the jobs also go way. $34.7B in total subsidies and loan guarantees by the Department of Energy have produced only 60,000 temporary jobs and less than 4,000 permanent ones. The federal government, spending taxpayer money on the myth of green and clean energy, has managed to create one permanent job for every $8M it spends.

Mike Holly
July 18, 2012

The expiration of the subsidies will save $3 billion per year off the national debt.

But state mandates will eventually require the utility monopolies to build more anyway and the ratepayers will take more of the hurt.

We need to get rid of the mandates and utility monopolies and let the free market build economic renewable energy like co-generation fueled by biomass wastes.

ashish gavali
July 18, 2012

Unfortunately most Americans are not educated or informed well enough to understand the true cost fossil fuels and nuke power. If they did, they would never use them.

When a wind turbine blade falls apart, the fiberglass falls between the corn and it still grows without any issues, see what happens when a nuke plant has issues?(they do all the time, they just don't have to report it, not even to the locals they directly affect)

What is the true cost to the people, economy and environment from conventional energy means compared to hydro, wind and solar? If you look into it with half a mind not totally brainwashed, the answer is obvious.

Ken. Bosley
July 18, 2012

Hello-
I am expert in wind power looking for work. I have over 30 years of experience in wind energy.
.
see resume at www.zwind.com

Ken Bosley, M.A.
410 472 1081 land line,
800 894 6352 voicemail pager
bosley@zwind.com , WINDENERGY@EARTHLINK.NET alt email
PO Bix 585
Sparks, Maryland 21152

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Stephen Lacey

I am a reporter with ClimateProgress.org, a blog published by the Center for American Progress. I am former editor and producer for RenewableEnergyWorld.com, where I contributed stories and hosted the Inside Renewable Energy Podcast. Keep...