Each major wind farm in America creates 1,000+ jobs and adds millions of dollars to local communities. Today, wind farms generate about 50,000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy — the equivalent of the energy produced by 12 Hoover Dams.
Read more in two recent NRDC reports:
At Wind Speed: How the U.S. Wind Industry is Rapidly Growing Our Local Economies
American Wind Farms: Breaking Down the Benefits from Planning to Production
Delivering On Renewable Energy Around The World: How Do Key Countries Stack Up?
In 2002, countries met in Johannesburg, South Africa for the 10th anniversary of the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Johannesburg Earth Summit, countries committed to: “…substantially increase the global share of renewable energy sources with the objective of increasing its contribution to total energy supply…” Since that time, renewable energy deployment and investment have increased, but work remains. At the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit — Earth Summit 2012, scheduled for this June — countries, companies, cities, and individuals need to commit to increasing the amount of wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, and wave power throughout the world, to 15 percent of total electricity by 2020 — more than doubling what is predicted under current trends.
Read more.
Join us for New York Solar Jobs Days
Summer is nearly here, and we’re urging Albany to put more of that New York sunshine to work already! It’s time to show lawmakers that solar power is a priority for New Yorkers.
We’re teaming up with an incredible group of organizations to do just that at free community events up and down the state. These New York Solar Jobs Days will feature fun solar demos, training from solar job experts, opportunities to talk with local solar companies, and plenty of ways to show your elected official that you care.
Get some sun at the New York Solar Jobs Day nearest you:
New York Solar Jobs Days are a joint project of Vote Solar, Natural Resource Defense Council, Pace Energy & Climate Center, Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Solar Energy Industries Association, New York Solar Energy Industries Association, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment, Workforce Development Institute, Apollo Alliance, New York League of Conservation Voters, Renewable Energy Long Island, Vision Long Island, The Alliance for a Greater New York, People United for Sustainable Housing, Center for Working Families, Sierra Club, Environment New York and Environmental Advocates of New York. Read more.
The bi-partisan NY Solar Jobs Act continues to gain momentum in the New York State legislature with over 100 legislators signing onto to the bill (33 Senators and 74 Assembly Members).
New York has what it takes to be a real solar powerhouse. And yet in just the first two months of 2012, our neighbors in New Jersey installed more solar than New York has in its entire history.
Time to bring solar’s economic and environmental benefits to the Empire State! Please ask your representatives to make New York a solar leader and support the New York Solar Jobs Act today. Send a message.
Read more in NRDC’s Switchboard blog.
