U.S. small wind needs tax credits
From a study released by the American Wind Energy Association:
AWEA’s newly released 2007 Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study finds that U.S. manufacturers continue to dominate the world market share of small-turbine sales globally. . . .
Demand for small wind, defined as systems having 100 kW in capacity and less, is being driven by concerns about global warming, volatile and rising costs of fossil fuel energy, energy security, and the desire or need for local and independent power. While demand is high and the industry is growing, the AWEA study indicates that the high purchase price of a small wind system is the single largest market barrier. A residential-scale turbine can cost $10,000 to $55,000 installed, which is simply out of reach for many consumers.
“The industry remains strong, but without a federal investment tax credit to help consumers buy these systems, small wind could be hard pressed to keep up with the solar industry,” said Ron Stimmel, AWEA’s small-wind advocate. “Small wind remains the only renewable energy technology without a federal-level tax credit.”
Go to AWEA’s small wind homepage, and link to 2007 AWEA Global Small Wind Market Study.
