Congressman Himes (CT-04) is working on Wind

September 10, 2009





Dear Mr. Passarelli,



Recalling your interest in renewable energy technologies, I wanted to inform you about some new and exciting steps that Congress has taken on this critical issue.



As you may know, wind has been the fastest-growing renewable power source worldwide, with an annual average growth rate exceeding 30%. And though wind energy already supplies more than a quarter of the power used in parts of Germany and Denmark, Americans still get less than 1% of their power from this clean, renewable energy source. In short, the opportunity for investment in wind technology has never been greater.



Just this week, I was proud to support the passage of the Wind Energy Research & Development Act (H.R. 3165), which will help our nation take its next important step toward a clean energy economy. Specifically, the Act authorizes $200 million annually over the next five years to spur greater adoption of wind turbine technologies by promoting development of advanced turbine designs, control systems and production capacity, with a focus on technologies that reduce the costs of construction, generation and maintenance of wind energy systems.



Along with the $16 billion the Recovery Act is investing in energy-efficiency and renewable energy technologies, the programs created by H.R. 3165 will help accelerate new technologies to market readiness, weaning us off imported fossil fuels, lowering costs to energy consumers, and spurring new jobs here at home.



Be assured I will continue fighting for these types of smart investments in the months and years ahead.



If you have any additional questions regarding this or other issues, please do not hesitate to contact my office. You can sign up for my newsletter and find more information on my views and my work in Congress by visiting my official website at www.house.gov/himes.



Sincerely,

Jim Himes
Member of Congress