The Whitehouse.gov website reports the “nation’s fleet of wind plants grew by 39% last year alone.”  The industry was expected to lose approximately 50% of its plants and jobs during the year of 2008.  Because of stimulus spending the industry was able avoid a 50% decline.  They instead grew the green wind energy sector by 39%.

The White House website says, “America’s wind power fleet will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road.”  With further commitment to the clean energy the United States should see a direct benefit by adding green jobs and by reducing the impact the country has on climate change.

Early last year, before [ARRA], the industry anticipated that in 2009 wind power development might drop by as much as 50% from 2008 levels, with equivalent job losses.  The clear commitment by the President to create clean energy jobs and the swift implementation of ARRA incentives by the Administration in mid-summer reversed the situation. Recovery Act incentives spurred the growth of construction, operations and maintenance, and management jobs, helping the industry to save and create jobs in those sectors and shine as a bright spot in the economy.