On October 25th the “Champions of Wind” learned that great results come from great cooperation. And for this cooperation to succeed, it is crucial to share experience and capabilities across the Atlantic.
In cooperation with Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the Danish Embassy hosted a reception in the US Capitol celebrating individual states and companies that have been driving the deployment of wind energy in US.
Senator Chuck Grassley is the “father” of the US production tax credit for wind energy, and his home state Iowa generates around 35 % of its electricity from wind energy – just the same as in Denmark. “Climate change is taking place and we must take that seriously. My way of doing this is to promote alternative energy,” Grassley stressed on the evening.
The other Champions of Wind, Democratic Senator Ed Markey even wanted his state, Massachusetts, to be “the new Saudi Arabia of Wind”. Ed Markey encouraged all parties present to now promote investments in offshore wind energy specifically with the key argument that off-shore wind energy is not only a cost-effective source of energy, it also creates thousands of jobs:” There are only 50,000 coal miners left in the United States. With the current tax arrangements, by 2020 we will have 500,000 employees in solar and wind energy.”
Democratic Congressman Bill Keating from Massachusetts made clear that President Trump’s energy policy will not determine the investments in renewable energy by the individual states:” The reality is that coal cannot compete economically. Gas and renewable energy is the future and a single man [President Trump] does not have a chance to stop it. The individual states all want clean energy”.
Danish Minister for Energy, Utilities, and Climate Mr. Lars Chr. Lilleholt embraced the opportunity to meet with US counterparts and to learn how much potential there is for offshore wind energy in the US
Prior to the reception, Minister Lilleholt and US Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke signed a partnership on offshore wind energy between Denmark and the US. The Department of Interior is the government entity that ultimately gives all licenses for offshore wind development in the US. This is the first partnership Denmark is entering at the Federal level under the Trump Administration.
At the same occasion, Minister Lilleholt extended an invitation for Secretary Zinke, and Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry, to take part in the Nordic Clean Energy Week in Denmark 2018.
See more on the Champions of Wind event below :