Rick Conrad's Posts - Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine2024-03-29T02:28:29ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConradhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1548431437?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blog/feed?user=1t2v82zov3jiv&xn_auth=noMore problems for Goodhue Wind Projecttag:www.windtaskforce.org,2012-09-21:4401701:BlogPost:422222012-09-21T21:30:09.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<p><a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970">http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970</a></p>
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<p>By Brett Boese The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN Minnesota</p>
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<p>Rule Part 7854.1300, Subpart 3. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission can revoke a site permit if it's determined that: • The applicant knowingly made a false statement in the application orin accompanying statements or studies required of the applicant, if a…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970">http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970</a></p>
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<p>By Brett Boese The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN Minnesota</p>
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<p>Rule Part 7854.1300, Subpart 3. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission can revoke a site permit if it's determined that: • The applicant knowingly made a false statement in the application orin accompanying statements or studies required of the applicant, if a true statementwould have warranted a change in the commission's findings. • The applicant has failed to comply with a material condition or termof the permit; • The project endangers human health or the environment andthe danger cannot be resolved by modification of the permit. • The permit holder violated laws that reflect an inability to comply with the permit.</p>
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<p>ZUMBROTA — National Wind, the longtime AWA Goodhue project developer, was acquired in December by Trishe Wind Energy, an international company based in India, but it appears the move was never officially communicated to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The $180 million project has been seeking permits for three years. The PUC is investigating the changes, as well as other possible discrepancies in filings with the state-permitting entity. There are four ways a project can lose its site permit, which was approved in June 2011, but a PUC spokesman says applying those standards can't be done yet because the facts "are still being established." The AWA Goodhue wind project proposed near Zumbrota has a 32,000-acre footprint. Whereas a typical wind project is approved in six to 12 months, the 48-turbine project has been seeking state approval since 2008.</p>
<p>Read the full story <a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970">http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1508970</a></p>Goodhue Wind Truth wins major victory.tag:www.windtaskforce.org,2012-02-24:4401701:BlogPost:369032012-02-24T23:26:55.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div> The A-Team in action. Check out the last two hours of this Minnesota Public Utilities Commission webcast.</div>
<div><a href="http://stream2.video.state.mn.us/mnoet/Viewer/?peid=14884a85f0744062a222fa97b20792e81d">http://stream2.video.state.mn.us/mnoet/Viewer/?peid=14884a85f0744062a222fa97b20792e81d</a></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----…</div>
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<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div> The A-Team in action. Check out the last two hours of this Minnesota Public Utilities Commission webcast.</div>
<div><a href="http://stream2.video.state.mn.us/mnoet/Viewer/?peid=14884a85f0744062a222fa97b20792e81d">http://stream2.video.state.mn.us/mnoet/Viewer/?peid=14884a85f0744062a222fa97b20792e81d</a></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message----- Subject: PB Article: Birds, bats tie up Goodhue wind project<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_56f1ceed-2be8-4083-8e22-2490303c8b84"><div><div style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="width: 1px; height: 1px; visibility: hidden; xg-p: absolute; z-index: 100000;" id="_atssh"></div>
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<div style="margin: 3px 3px 3px 10px;"><strong><font face="Times New Roman"><font style="font-size: 7.2pt;" color="#666666">Posted: Feb 24, 2012, 10:40 am</font></font></strong></div>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top"><font face="Times New Roman">By <b><a>Brett Boese</a></b> The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN</font> <span><span><font face="Times New Roman"><font style="font-size: 9pt;">ST. PAUL The</font></font> <font style="font-size: 9pt;"><a><font face="Times New Roman">Minnesota Public Utilities Commission</font></a> <font face="Times New Roman">voted 2-1 on Thursday to deny a plan protecting birds and bats for the 78-megawatt AWA Goodhue wind project in Goodhue County, causing a setback to the proposed wind farm north of Zumbrota.<br/>The Avian and Bat Protection Plan was a condition placed on the site permit approved by the PUC last June. The document took five months to develop in conjunction with Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but was still deemed insufficient.<br/>"I don't think this is the document I anticipated seeing when we issued the site permit," PUC acting chairman David C. Boyd said.<br/>The plan, which is just the second such document developed in state history, is the final state-mandated permitting hurdle the project must clear before construction can begin. Wind officials had targeted June 1 for breaking ground on the 32,000-acre project, but that now appears impossible.<br/>National Wind officials declined comment afterward. However, documents filed earlier this month by the company suggest that any delay in the permitting process would put the project's future in jeopardy. A new protection plan can be filed at any time, but PUC commissioners asked for more wildlife surveys and studies that are expected to take months if not years to complete.<br/>Construction of the 48-turbine project is projected to take 6-12 months and it must be operational by Dec. 31 to be eligible for millions of dollars in a federal tax credit program that expires at the end of the year.<br/>PUC commissioners Betsy Wergin and J. Dennis O'Brien criticized the protection plan at Thursday's hearing.<br/>"I don't see anything improving," said Wergin, who has voted against the project at three straight hearings. "I actually see this as another reason why this project shouldn't move forward I think this is the most troubled (wind project) we've ever encountered."<br/>More than 100 people filled the hearing room Thursday for the two-hour hearing.<br/>Questions of the protection plan's substance proved problematic for the commissioners. The actual number of active bald eagle nests within the project's footprint was debated and many questioned whether other survey work completed by Westwood Professional Services for National Wind was reliable.<br/>The bat portion of the protection plan also was rife with issues. Westwood's monitoring timeframe did not comply with the required dates from a previous PUC hearing. In addition, the two monitoring devices were only functioning properly in tandem for about 50 percent of the time.<br/>A citizens group that opposed the wind project was happy with the outcome.<br/>"I think the Lord answered our prayers," said Steve Groth, who said citizens have spent six figures fighting this project. "And we've been praying a lot."<br/>Opponents also were happy that O'Brien chastised the Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Permitting staff during the hearing. O'Brien said he was "frustrated to no end" by the staff's language in its recommendation to approve the protection plan, saying it was "tough to separate the wind developer from EFP staff."<br/>Also on Thursday, Coalition for Sensible Siting attorney Dan Schleck received word that the Minnesota Court of Appeals would accept an amicus brief from Goodhue Wind Truth, another citizens opposition group. The two entities had appealed the PUC's decision to issue a site permit last fall, but Goodhue Wind Truth was dismissed from the process in January over a mailing mistake.<br/>The court also denied AWA Goodhue's motion for an expedited process though Schleck said the process could still ahead move quickly. The wind project's motion stated that it could not secure funding for the $180 million project while it was tied up in litigation.</font></font></span></span><div style="width: 340px;" id="__ss_11735887"><font style="font-size: 9pt;"><strong style="margin: 12px 0pt 4px; display: block;"><a title="Public Utilities Commission press release"><font face="Times New Roman">Public Utilities Commission press release</font></a></strong></font><div style="padding: 5px 0pt 12px;"><font style="font-size: 9pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">View more</font></font> <a><font face="Times New Roman"><font style="font-size: 9pt;">documents from Post-Bulletin Co.</font></font></a></div>
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</div>Urgent Federal Blitztag:www.windtaskforce.org,2012-02-08:4401701:BlogPost:364282012-02-08T02:11:28.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
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<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 06, 2012 5:34 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> IWW: FEDERAL BLITZ!</div>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial" size="4">Dear Fellow Wind Warriors,</font></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial" size="4">Here is…</font></b></span></p>
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<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 06, 2012 5:34 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> IWW: FEDERAL BLITZ!</div>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Dear Fellow Wind Warriors,</font></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Here is the</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">ROADMAP</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">to ENERGY PROSPERITY</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">that I promised you earlier today.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">I truly believe that t</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">his is the year we will defeat</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">wasteful</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">subsidies for wind energy.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Failure is not an option</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4">because i</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4">f we fail, hundreds of thousands of acres will be despoiled and</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4">tens of</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4">billions of dollars wasted on this failed technology.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">P</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">lease ask your group to jump on this im</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">mediately because we are facing a make or break moment in DC THIS WEEK.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">We have a shot at</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">a 1-2 punch to stop these mostly foreign companies from looting and pillaging our national treasu</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">ry. This is</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">punch</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">#1 and it needs to be a good hard sock in the kisser</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">!</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ass</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">uming we survive th</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">is</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">payroll tax cut legislation</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">bill</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">, the second punch will</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">consist of a nationwide educational</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">tsunami that will convince both lawmakers and voters that</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">there are</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">cheaper</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">, c</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">leaner and greener</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">solutions to our energy goals. </font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Phase 1 of our game plan is simple</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">:</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Make</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">20</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">phones ring off the hook in DC in the nex</font><font size="4" face="Arial">t 3 days.</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The wind industry lobb</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">yists are going full tilt tomorrow and Wednesday to get a FOUR YE</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">AR extension of the Production Tax Credit slipped into the Payroll Tax bill that is being considered by a Conference Committee.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The final vote is expected to come sometime this week</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">, possibly</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">as early as</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wednesday afternoon</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">We need everyone and their brother to call these committee members</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">and tell them in no uncertain terms that they</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">should</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">NOT inclu</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">de the PTC or any other energy subsidy in this bill.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Please take a moment right now</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">to</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">call the</font> <font size="4" face="Arial">lawmakers listed below</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">and tell their office staff that you OPPOSE any extension of energy subsidies. You may further tell them that you SUPPORT HR 3308,</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">which would</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">end all energy subsidies (</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">including</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">fossil fuels) except for research and development grants</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">in basic science.</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">That</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">s it. Really simple. You can also fax or email them if you wish but telephone calls are the best, fastest, most secure way to know that your opinion registered.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Then send this to your entire list of contacts and ask them to do the same.</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman"> And so</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">on, and so on, and so</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">on</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">We</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">need to keep those phones ringing</font> <font size="4" face="Arial">in DC</font> <font size="4" face="Arial">all this week.</font></b></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The aides basically just keep a running tally of the in</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">put that the Senator or Representative is getting, but i</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">f you want to go beyond</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">the t</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">humbs up or down level</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">of</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">comment</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">, ple</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">ase avoid anything that can come off as</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">NIMBY.</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">When you talk to</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Democrats</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">it may be</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">OK to talk about how wind is victimizing innocent</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">neighbors, is a</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">n energy tax on the poor, kills eagles and harms</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">wildlife, etc.</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">,</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">especi</font><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">ally if</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">you have personal experience with those issues. Otherwise,</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">it</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">s best to</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">stick</font> <font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">to</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">the key economic issues</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">, which</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">are listed</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">toward</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Times New Roman">the end of this email.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">H</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">ere</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">is the list of the key committee members that</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">we need to call.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">A document containing this information is also attached for your convenience.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">Apologies in advance for the</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">funky</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">formatting but it just wouldn</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial"></font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">t convert to plain text.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">I</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">f you have limited time, please call the</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">Senators</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">first.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">Please call the first</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">number after the name and you will be connected. The second number is the fax and the last link is their online contact form.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">You can also access this information on</font></span> <a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.com" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="4" face="Arial">www.contactingthecongress.com</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#1F497D" size="4" face="Arial">Phone is the best, with fax and email tied for second.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">This will be the best</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">10-</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">20 minutes you</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">have</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">ever spent fighting wind.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">If you c</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">all now you may never have to sit through another local hearing or county board meeting</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">again</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">.</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="4" face="Arial">Thank you for all your hard work and support in working for smart energy solutions.</font></b></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="6" face="Monotype Corsiva">Carolyn K. Gerwin</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Illinois Wind Watch</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" align="center"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial">CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION</font></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" align="center"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial">February 2012</font></b></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial">SENATE:</font></b></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Member Name</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">DC Phone</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">DC FAX</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Contact Form</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial">DEMOCRATS:</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MTSR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Max Baucus (D- MT)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-224-2651 202-224-9412 </font></span> <a href="http://baucus.senate.gov/?p=contact" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://baucus.senate.gov/?p=contact</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=RISR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Jack Reed (D- RI)</font></u></span></a> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-4642</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-4680</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://reed.senate.gov/contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://reed.senate.gov/contact/</font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MDJR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D- MD)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-4524</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-1651</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=PASR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D- PA)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-224-6324 202-228-0604 </font></span> <a href="http://casey.senate.gov/contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://casey.senate.gov/contact/</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial">REPUBLICANS:</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=IDSR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Mike Crapo (R- ID)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-6142</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-228-1375</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm</font></u></span></a> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=AZJR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator Jon Kyl (R- AZ)</font></u></span></a> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-4521</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-224-2207</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=WYJR&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Senator John Barrasso (R- WY)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-224-6441 202-224-1724 </font></span> <a href="http://barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseActio </font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" align="center"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font face="Arial">HOUSE</font></b></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial">DEMOCRATS:</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Member Name</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">DC Phone</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">DC FAX</font></b></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font size="2" face="Arial">Contact Form</font></b></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=PA13&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz (D - PA13)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-6111</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-226-0611</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://schwartz.house.gov/issue_subscribe.shtml" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://schwartz.house.gov/issue_subscribe.shtml</font></u></span></a> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MI12&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Sandy Levin (D - MI12)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-4961</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-226-1033</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="https://levin.house.gov/contact-me/email-me" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://l</font><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">evin.house.gov/contact-me/email-me</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=CA31&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><u><span lang="es-mx" xml:lang="es-mx"><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Xavier Becerra (D - CA31)</font></span></u></a><span lang="es-mx" xml:lang="es-mx"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-6235</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-2202</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://forms.house.gov/becerra/webforms/issue_subscribe.html" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://forms.house.gov/becerra/webforms/issue_subscri </font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MD08&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Chris Van Hollen, Jr. (D - MD08)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-5341</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-0375</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://vanhollen.house.gov/Contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://vanhollen.house.gov/Contact/</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=CA30&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Henry A. Waxman (D - CA30)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-225-3976 202-225-4099 </font></span> <a href="http://waxman.house.gov/Contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://waxman.house.gov/Contact/</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial">REPUBLICANS</font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=TX08&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Kevin Brady (R - TX08)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font> <font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-4901 </font> <font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-5524 </font></span> <a href="http://www.house.gov/brady/contact_page.html" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://www.house.gov/brady/contact_page.html</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NY19&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Nan A. S. Hayworth (R - NY19)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-5441</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-3289</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="https://hayworthforms.house.gov/contact" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://hayworthforms.house.gov/contact</font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NY29&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Tom Reed (R - NY29)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-3161</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-226-6599</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="https://reed.house.gov/contact-me/email-me" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://reed.</font><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">house.gov/contact-me/email-me</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MI04&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Dave Camp (R - MI04)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-3561</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-9679</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://camp.house.gov/Contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://camp.house.gov/Contact/</font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NC02&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Renee L. Ellmers (R - NC02)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-225-4531 202-225-5662 </font></span> <a href="https://ellmersforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=58&sectiontree=358" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://ellmersforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=58 </font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=GA06&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Tom Price (R - GA06)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-4501</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-4656</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="https://tomprice.house.gov/contact-me" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://tomprice.</font><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">house.gov/contact-me</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MI06&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Fred Upton (R - MI06)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-3761</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="2" face="Arial">202-225-4986</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> </span> <a href="http://upton.house.gov/Contact/" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">http://upton.house.gov/Contact/</font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=OR02&site=ctc2011" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">Representative Greg Walden (R - OR02)</font></u></span></a><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"> 202-225-6730 202-225-5774 </font></span> <a href="https://waldenforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=117&sectiontree=7117" target="_blank"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">https://waldenforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=117 </font></u></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><<...>></font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><b><font color="#1F497D" size="5" face="Times New Roman">TALKING POINTS:</font></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Industrial wind is a failed technology</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. After 20 years of tax breaks and billions of dollars in giveaways, this industry still provides a lousy 2</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">-3</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">% of our electricity. Even if its market share were to miraculously quintuple, it would still have such a tiny impact on our nations overall carbon emissions as to be laughable. Increasing our energy prices and/or imposing higher taxes encourages our manufacturers to move their plants overseas to nations with lower environmental standards. As a result, there is no way this industry will ever save the planet. A market-driven move toward natural gas would be far more green, both in terms of saving money AND the planet.</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> Most of Europe has learned this the hard way. Spain just ENDED subsidies for wind.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">There is no free lunch</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. American taxpayers and consumers are paying for this directly or indirectly. Forcing American consumers and industry to bear the brunt of higher energy costs in order to support mostly foreign corporations is particularly dangerous given the current economic slowdown. That money could be left in the hands of consumers who will stimulate our economy by buying goods they actually need. It could be left in the control of small business owners who will expand their businesses and create real jobs. Or it could be collected and used to retire billions of dollars worth of our toxic national debt. The government should not be picking winners and losers among energy sources</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by letting some of them off the hook for paying taxes</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. This is crony capitalism at its worst. All energy subsidies other than true research and development should be phased out as quickly as possible. We support HR 3308 in this regard.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The assertion that the PTC is a performance-based subsidy is a lie</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. </font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Courier New">o </font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The tax credits will be sold to huge conglomerates before the wind turbines are even built, leaving behind empty, liability-ridden shell corporations. Meanwhile the highly profitable conglomerates who scoop up the PTCs at a discount will avoid paying taxes that should have gone into the national treasury. </font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Courier New">o </font> <font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The wind industry has never proven that it actually reduces carbon when added to the grid. Independent studies suggest it does not. </font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wind kills more jobs than it creates</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. Independent studies from around the world confirm that subsidizing renewable energy results in a net loss of jobs.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Extending the PTC is throwing good money after bad</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. Astute investors believe that the wind industry will go under due to other market forces such as the glut of cheap natural gas (which provides better, greener energy), the soft economy, the Chinese monopoly on rare earths, and overwhelming competition from Asian manufacturers. Extending the PTC will only allow the wind companies to package and sell one last batch of highly discounted tax credits to their fat cat corporate partners.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">We will never win</font></u></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">the race with China</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">.</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> China can manufacture turbines and parts cheaper than we can for the same reasons it beats us in virtually every other manufacturing business.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If we</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">are dumb enough to try to</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">race with China,</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">we will lose because they buy at wholesale prices and we buy at retail prices with money we borrow from China and other foreign investors.</font></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Wingdings">v<font face="Courier New"> </font></font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><u><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">We need comprehensive tax reform, not more piecemeal tinkering</font></u></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">. These PTCs will go on for 10-12 years after the subsidy is allowed to expire.</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> Most</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">of the</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">money is going to China and foreign corporations. They PTC should be repealed now</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">rather than allowed to</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">do</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">more damage to our economy.</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If you are thinking about using it as a bargaining chip, think again. The country would be better served</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">if Congress wor</font></span><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ked together to pass</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">positive,</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">carefully-designed,</font></span> <span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">comprehensive tax reforms that will truly benefit our economy nationwide. </font></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The time has come to put the PTC to bed. Pl</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ease vote AGAINST any extension of the PTC and support HR 3008. </font> <font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thank you</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">.</font></span></p>
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</div>Refor Renewable energy policytag:www.windtaskforce.org,2012-01-08:4401701:BlogPost:347802012-01-08T19:54:36.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<p> The 1603 cash grants for renewable energy projects has been allowed to expire. Some projects that are far enough along will still go forward and collect them. The PTC is still in effect and some projects will still be built to collect that money if they can get started this year.</p>
<p> I do not want to see an end to renewable energy. I hate the label anti-wind. I oppose the thoughtless destruction of the environment and the destruction or devaluation to of our homes by carpet…</p>
<p> The 1603 cash grants for renewable energy projects has been allowed to expire. Some projects that are far enough along will still go forward and collect them. The PTC is still in effect and some projects will still be built to collect that money if they can get started this year.</p>
<p> I do not want to see an end to renewable energy. I hate the label anti-wind. I oppose the thoughtless destruction of the environment and the destruction or devaluation to of our homes by carpet baggers out to make a buck.</p>
<p> What is needed is alternative energy policy that is truely revolutionary and benefits ordinary citizens. Not billionaires and large utilities.</p>
<p> Good work all on past successes and good luck in 2012. </p>AWEA gets a LUMP of COAL from american taxpayerstag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-12-18:4401701:BlogPost:349102011-12-18T02:15:48.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_b284345a-cfc2-4ad5-9aa5-105c9423bd62"><div><font face="Arial" size="2">FYI below.</font></div>
<div><br></br> "One voice can become many"</div>
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message -----<div style="background: #e4e4e4; font-color: black;"> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, December 17, 2011 7:15 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Good news! Status on 1603 and the PTC</div>
</div>
<div><b><font size="4">This…</font></b></div>
</div>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_b284345a-cfc2-4ad5-9aa5-105c9423bd62"><div><font size="2" face="Arial">FYI below.</font></div>
<div><br/> "One voice can become many"</div>
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message -----<div style="background: #e4e4e4; font-color: black;"> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, December 17, 2011 7:15 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Good news! Status on 1603 and the PTC</div>
</div>
<div><b><font size="4">This email was sent from Lisa Linowes about our nationwide effort last week to send 50 letters from 50 states with as many names as possible on them, to STOP 1603 cash grants. Enjoy the letter below!</font></b></div>
<div><strong><font size="4">--Bruce & Marie --</font></strong></div>
<div><strong><font size="4">p.s. Barb, please share with all of our distribution list, and everyone can share this on to other Minnesotans. </font></strong></div>
<div><strong><font size="4"> Don't stop respectfully calling and emailing your thoughts to our Minnesota leadership in Congress. Our two Minnesota Senators, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, had endorsed extending wasteful 1603 subsidies. </font></strong></div>
<div><strong><font size="4"> Representative John Kline deserves a thank you for his help in the House, in support of stopping 1603 cash grants.</font></strong></div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, December 17, 2011 1:58 PM</div>
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><div><b>Subject:</b> Good news! Status on 1603 and the PTC</div>
</div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">Hi Everyone --</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">Special thanks to all of you for the fantastic response received on the letter sent to Congress. Over 1600 names were collected from 25 different states. The list of participating states is below. My contact on Capitol Hill has informed me that the letters were impacting arriving at the right time. The message was clear that regular people were watching the House and that a price would be paid if they supported any extension to the Section 1603 cash grant program.</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS"><strong>Participating States:</strong> Arizona California Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin</font></div>
<div><strong><font face="Comic Sans MS">And for the very good news ... The Senate was UNABLE to attach an extension of Section 1603 or the production tax credit to the version of the payroll tax bill voted on today. The bill goes back to the House on Monday where it will almost certainly pass.</font></strong></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">We know the House and Senate will be back at this after the new year. So we must remain vigilant.</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">But for now, AWEA gets a lump of coal from the American Taxpayers.</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">I will be back in touch in the coming weeks with information on how to approach the next round.</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">Thank you everyone! Have a wonderful and safe holiday. Please email if you have questions or wish to have a copy of the letter sent from your state or any of the others.</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">Kind regards,</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">--Lisa</font></div>
<div><font face="Comic Sans MS">(PS: Please share this letter with others. Thanks!)</font></div>
</div>
<br />
<p></p>1603 cash grants additional informationtag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-12-04:4401701:BlogPost:341062011-12-04T10:13:18.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">Sent: Sat, Dec 3, 2011 9:31 pm</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">Subject: RE: Contact your U.S. Congressman to join John Kline</div>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_8b82cd12-3ee5-48c5-8c8b-7e31c4413b62" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">Done. I spoke with Isaac Orr in WI Senator Frank Lasee's office. He said the…</div>
</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">Sent: Sat, Dec 3, 2011 9:31 pm</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">Subject: RE: Contact your U.S. Congressman to join John Kline</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;" id="AOLMsgPart_1_8b82cd12-3ee5-48c5-8c8b-7e31c4413b62"><div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">Done. I spoke with Isaac Orr in WI Senator Frank Lasee's office. He said the legislation is sitting in Committee and Camp appears to want to deny the group the hearing they have requested on this issue. Isaac said they're going to play nice at the moment and will not unleash all of the wind energy opponents on Camp, but asked if we would be willing to relentlessly participate by contacting Camp if he continues to play these games. I think we're ready. <br/><div>Subject: Fw: Contact your U.S. Congressman to join John Kline Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2011 12:30:22 -0600<br/><br/><div><font size="2" face="Arial">From Kristi Rosenquist below.</font></div>
<div>"</div>
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message -----<div style="background: #e4e4e4; font-color: black;"><b>From:</b></div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Friday, December 02, 2011 6:20 AM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Fw: Contact your U.S. Congressman to join John Kline</div>
</div>
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><div><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 01, 2011 6:03 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Contact your U.S. Congressman to join John Kline</div>
</div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Please post or share in whatever way you can with your contacts all over the U.S.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Call or email your Congressman now. Encourage him/her to join MN Congressman John Kline to let 1603 cash grants for renewable energy die.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Minnesota's Congressman John Kline sent a "Dear Colleague" notice electronically to the entire U.S. Congress (below). Congressman Kline is inviting Members to co-sign a letter to Congressman</font> <font size="2" face="Arial">Dave Camp, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means (below).</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is pushing hard in Washington D.C. right now (see below) to have the 1603 cash continued again. </font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Let your Congressman know that when the Government is broke and the economy is in the crapper, it is time to stop squandering tax money on wind turbines. End the federal 1603 cash grants (about $1 million per turbine). Time to speak for citizens. Sign on with Congressman John Kline.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">I'm thrilled my Congressman, John Kline, is providing this leadership. Please get your Congressman to sign with him.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Kristi Rosenquist</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Rural Goodhue County, MN</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">for more into on the 1603 cash go to <a href="http://www.coalitionforsensiblesiting.com/renewable-energy-cash-grants.htm" target="_blank">http://www.coalitionforsensiblesiting.com/renewable-energy-cash-grants.htm</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"><strong> Message sent by John Kline to Members of Congress:</strong></font></div>
<blockquote style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-color: #000000; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid;" dir="ltr"><div class="ecxWordSection1"><h1 style="text-align: center;" align="center">Save taxpayers’ hard earned money: Let Section 1603 for renewable energy grants expire at the end of 2011.</h1>
<h2>From: The Honorable John Kline Sent By: <a href="mailto:yelena.vaynberg@mail.house.gov">yelena.vaynberg@mail.house.gov</a> Date: 12/1/2011</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Save taxpayers’ hard earned money:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Let Section 1603 for renewable energy grants expire at the end of 2011.</strong></p>
Dear Colleague: I invite you to join me in sending a letter to Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp to express support for the expiration of Section 1603 grants in lieu of tax credits for renewable energy, including wind projects. These grants are set to expire at the end of this year. Section 1603 grants in lieu of tax credits were created as part of the failed stimulus bill and extended as recently as last year through December 31, 2011. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, “[m]arket response, since Section 1603 was established, has been mixed. The solar industry expects a record year of installations in 2010 (approximately 1 Gigawatt), while the wind industry forecasts a 50% decline compared to 2009 (approximately 5 Gigawatts installed in 2010 compared to 10 Gigwatts installed in 2009).” <br/>While the goal of the program is to increase the use of renewable energy, including wind, I have escalating concerns about the unintended consequences of the program. For example, in Minnesota, a wind developer is working to establish a farm with more than 50 wind turbines despite strong concerns vocalized by hundreds of residents the program is slated to serve. Furthermore, given current budget constraints, we simply cannot afford taxpayer-funded government subsidies that offer inconclusive results. <br/>Join my call for fiscal responsibility by signing this letter to Chairman Camp. If you have any questions, or would like to sign this letter, please contact Yelena Vaynberg in my office at <a href="mailto:yelena.vaynberg@mail.house.gov">yelena.vaynberg@mail.house.gov</a> or 5-2271. <br/>Sincerely,<br/>JOHN KLINE Member of Congress ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <font size="2" face="Arial"><strong>Draft letter for Congressmen to sign with John Kline:</strong></font> December XX, 2011 The Honorable Dave Camp Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means 1102 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Camp: In light of our shared commitment for comprehensive tax reform that would lower the tax burden for hard working Americans, we urge you to allow Section 1603 grants in lieu of tax credits for renewable energy to expire at the end of this year, as scheduled. <br/>As you know, Section 1603 grants in lieu of tax credits were created as part of the failed stimulus bill and extended as recently as last year through December 31, 2011. While the goal of the program is to increase the use of renewable energy, including wind, we have escalating concerns about the unintended consequences of the program. For example, in Minnesota, a wind developer is working to establish a farm with more than 50 wind turbines despite strong concerns vocalized by hundreds of residents the program is slated to serve. Furthermore, given current budget constraints, we simply cannot afford government subsidies that offer inconclusive results. Taxpayers are unjustifiably incentivizing the wind industry where it may not be popular with the constituency or a necessary part of a long term national energy strategy. Consequently, Section 1603 grants should be allowed to expire at the end of this year. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to continue working with you on meaningful reform of our tax code that protects taxpayers and encourages economic growth. <br/>Sincerely, JOHN KLINE Member of Congress
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"><strong><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Message from Lisa Linowes of windaction.org</font></strong></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">----- Original Message -----</span></p>
<div><div><p style="background: #e4e4e4;" class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">From:</span></b> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><a title="lisa@linowes.com" href="mailto:lisa@linowes.com">Lisa Linowes</a></span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">To:</span></b> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><a title="info@windaction.org" href="mailto:info@windaction.org">info@windaction.org</a></span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Sent:</span></b> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Thursday, December 01, 2011 12:44 PM</span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Subject:</span></b> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">URGENT - AWEA et al are turning up the heat on 1603</span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">WARNING</span> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">-- the below message was circulated to Congressional House members moments ago.</span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Write your Congressional delegation. Tell them NO MORE SUPPORT for Section 1603. We can't afford it.</span></p>
<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">The 1603 grants, due to expire end of this year, have already cost us $10 billion dollars -- most to big wind. Total costs are expected to be nearly $20 billion.</span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">The industry is pushing this article from Bloomberg News:</span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span class="ecxMsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-30/clean-energy-funding-to-drop-after-obama-grant-program-ends-1-.html" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-30/clean-energy-funding-to-drop-after-obama-grant-program-ends-1-.html</a></span></span></span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thanks.</span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">--Lisa</span></p>
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<div><p class="ecxMsoNormal"><a href="http://www.windaction.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">www.windaction.org</span></a></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"><strong><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Message sent on behalf of AWEA to members of Congress:</font></strong></span></p>
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<div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><h1 style="text-align: center;" align="center">Extend the 1603 Program and Create Clean Energy Jobs</h1>
<h2>From: The Honorable Rush D. Holt Sent By: <a href="mailto:libby.ohare@mail.house.gov?subject=RE:%20Extend%20the%201603%20Program%20and%20Create%20Clean%20Energy%20Jobs">libby.ohare@mail.house.gov</a> Date: 12/1/2011</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Current co-signers include:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Blumenauer, Holt, Tonko, Thompson, Polis, Capps, Hinchey, Connolly, Barbara Lee, Jesse Jackson, Lujan, Olver, Matsui, Tim Ryan, Napolitano, Carnahan, Rothman, Pingree, Susan Davis, Langevin, Courtney, Lofgren, Filner</p>
Dear Colleague, Please join us in support of the 1603 Treasury Grant Program, which provides grant funding in place of a tax credit for renewable energy and accelerates the deployment of clean energy technologies. This valuable program has leveraged more than $22.8 billion in private sector investment for 22,000 projects across the clean energy industry, including solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, combined heat-and-power, and hydro, in all 50 states. If Congress fails to act, the grant program will expire at the end of 2011, shrinking the total financing available for renewable energy projects by 52 percent and eliminating tens of thousands of jobs across clean energy industries. Join us, and over <a href="http://seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=1754" target="_blank">750 small businesses, companies, and trade organizations</a> in asking the leadership of the House of Representatives to extend this valuable, job-creating program. If you would like to sign this letter please contact Sam Ricketts with the House Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) at 5-6311 or <a href="mailto:Sam.Ricketts@mail.house.gov">Sam.Ricketts@mail.house.gov</a>; Carla McGarvey with Rep. Thompson (5-3311, <a href="mailto:Carla.McGarvey@mail.house.gov">Carla.McGarvey@mail.house.gov</a>); or Libby O’Hare with Rep. Holt (5-5801, <a href="mailto:Libby.OHare@mail.house.gov">Libby.OHare@mail.house.gov</a>. Sincerely, Earl Blumenauer Rush Holt Member of Congress Member of Congress Paul Tonko Mike Thompson Member of Congress Member of Congress</div>
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</div>Tell you Congressman cancel 1603 grants for wind energytag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-12-03:4401701:BlogPost:338612011-12-03T00:29:35.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message -----<div style="background: #e4e4e4; font-color: black;"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:lisa@linowes.com" title="lisa@linowes.com">Lisa Linowes</a></div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:info@windaction.org" title="info@windaction.org">info@windaction.org</a></div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 01, 2011 12:44 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> URGENT - AWEA et al are turning up the heat on…</div>
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<div style="font: 10pt/normal arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message -----<div style="background: #e4e4e4; font-color: black;"><b>From:</b> <a title="lisa@linowes.com" href="mailto:lisa@linowes.com">Lisa Linowes</a></div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="info@windaction.org" href="mailto:info@windaction.org">info@windaction.org</a></div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 01, 2011 12:44 PM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> URGENT - AWEA et al are turning up the heat on 1603</div>
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<div><font size="4"><font face="Arial"><font color="#FF0000">WARNING</font> -- the below message was circulated to Congressional House members moments ago.</font></font></div>
<div align="left"><font color="#FF0000" size="4" face="Arial">Write your Congressional delegation. Tell them NO MORE SUPPORT for Section 1603. We can't afford it.</font></div>
<div><font size="4" face="Arial">The 1603 grants, due to expire end of this year, have already cost us $10 billion dollars -- most to big wind. Total costs are expected to be nearly $20 billion.</font></div>
<div><font size="4"><font face="Arial">The industry is pushing this article from Bloomberg News:</font> <a><font size="3" face="Arial">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-30/clean-energy-funding-to-drop-after-obama-grant-program-ends-1-.html</font></a></font></div>
<div><font size="4" face="Arial">Thanks.</font></div>
<div><font size="4" face="Arial">--Lisa</font></div>
<div><a href="http://www.windaction.org" target="_blank"><font size="4" face="Arial">www.windaction.org</font></a></div>
<div><div><blockquote><div lang="EN-US"><div class="WordSection1"><h1 style="text-align: center;" align="center">Extend the 1603 Program and Create Clean Energy Jobs</h1>
<h2>From: The Honorable Rush D. Holt Sent By: <a href="mailto:libby.ohare@mail.house.gov?subject=RE:%20Extend%20the%201603%20Program%20and%20Create%20Clean%20Energy%20Jobs">libby.ohare@mail.house.gov</a> Date: 12/1/2011</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Current co-signers include:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Blumenauer, Holt, Tonko, Thompson, Polis, Capps, Hinchey, Connolly, Barbara Lee, Jesse Jackson, Lujan, Olver, Matsui, Tim Ryan, Napolitano, Carnahan, Rothman, Pingree, Susan Davis, Langevin, Courtney, Lofgren, Filner</p>
<p></p>
<p>Dear Colleague,</p>
<p>Please join us in support of the 1603 Treasury Grant Program, which provides grant funding in place of a tax credit for renewable energy and accelerates the deployment of clean energy technologies. This valuable program has leveraged more than $22.8 billion in private sector investment for 22,000 projects across the clean energy industry, including solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, combined heat-and-power, and hydro, in all 50 states. If Congress fails to act, the grant program will expire at the end of 2011, shrinking the total financing available for renewable energy projects by 52 percent and eliminating tens of thousands of jobs across clean energy industries.</p>
<p>Join us, and over <a href="http://seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=1754" target="_blank">750 small businesses, companies, and trade organizations</a> in asking the leadership of the House of Representatives to extend this valuable, job-creating program. If you would like to sign this letter please contact Sam Ricketts with the House Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) at 5-6311 or <a href="mailto:Sam.Ricketts@mail.house.gov">Sam.Ricketts@mail.house.gov</a>; Carla McGarvey with Rep. Thompson (5-3311, <a href="mailto:Carla.McGarvey@mail.house.gov">Carla.McGarvey@mail.house.gov</a>); or Libby O’Hare with Rep. Holt (5-5801, <a href="mailto:Libby.OHare@mail.house.gov">Libby.OHare@mail.house.gov</a>.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Earl Blumenauer Rush Holt</p>
<p>Member of Congress Member of Congress</p>
<p></p>
<p>Paul Tonko Mike Thompson</p>
<p>Member of Congress Member of Congress</p>
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</div>"The story T. Boone does not want you to hear" or "the Pickens plan for Goodhue County"tag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-12-03:4401701:BlogPost:341012011-12-03T00:24:45.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_47316c31-7a64-4c9d-8d3d-7155356c2b0f"><div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div id="AOLMsgPart_1_a4fc265a-cfd1-4fe6-bf71-ccaf0fd1e7c8"><div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div id="AOLMsgPart_1_22756eb9-1391-49d1-9561-dc31d98f27d7"><div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div id="AOLMsgPart_1_68fc8c3d-1de1-4dcb-b0d7-fe733337c5b9"></div>
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<div><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxUXAjXPSQo&feature=related" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxUXAjXPSQo&feature=related</span></a></span><br/><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAdEqO1ZJ_E&feature=related" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAdEqO1ZJ_E&feature=related</span></a></span></div>
<div><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDzC70da1pU&feature=related" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDzC70da1pU&feature=related</span></a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5">Subject: YouTube video regarding bald eagles in the AWA Goodhue Wind Project</span><div id="AOLMsgPart_1_2da82ceb-e095-4895-8a80-602817bc0b95"><div><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5"><font size="2" face="Arial">Below is the web link to the YouTube video that Mary Hartman has posted regarding our beloved bald eagles in the AWA Goodhue Wind Project. Please let her know what you think of it.</font></span></div>
<div><span style="color: #888888;" class="font-size-5"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2gCKx8nGYU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2gCKx8nGYU</span></a></span></div>
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<p></p>Windfalltag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-11-15:4401701:BlogPost:321012011-11-15T02:30:00.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<p> I would like to recomend the independent film "Windfall" Produced by Laura Isreal</p>
<p> <a href="http://windfallthemovie.com/index_1.html">http://windfallthemovie.com/index_1.html</a></p>
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<p> I believe what is highlighted in the film is the covert way that wind developers operate. Targetting elected officials with large tracts of land,ignoring the majority of people who will have to live in the shadows of turbines owned by utility companies and billionaire investors.</p>
<p> …</p>
<p> I would like to recomend the independent film "Windfall" Produced by Laura Isreal</p>
<p> <a href="http://windfallthemovie.com/index_1.html">http://windfallthemovie.com/index_1.html</a></p>
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<p> I believe what is highlighted in the film is the covert way that wind developers operate. Targetting elected officials with large tracts of land,ignoring the majority of people who will have to live in the shadows of turbines owned by utility companies and billionaire investors.</p>
<p> Making false claims about the impacts that wind development will have on established land uses, future development and the property values of the area.</p>
<p> Intensionally pitting neighbor against neighbor. What they are doing is comparable to scattering a handful of twenty dollar bills in a crowd of people at city hall while their associates are are across the street robbing the bank.</p>
<p>Rick Conrad</p>AWA Goodhuetag:www.windtaskforce.org,2011-11-13:4401701:BlogPost:317072011-11-13T11:53:04.000ZRick Conradhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/RickConrad
<p><a href="http://windenergy.areavoices.com">http://windenergy.areavoices.com</a></p>
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<p> Just days before the final PUC siting hearing Goodhue Wind AWA posted environmental studies that they conducted. These studies find that American Bald Eagles and Loggerhead Shrikes exist throughout the project area. Their conclusions that their project will not adversely affect these protected avian species are questionable. Their speculation that since Loggerhead Shrikes fly low…</p>
<p><a href="http://windenergy.areavoices.com">http://windenergy.areavoices.com</a></p>
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<p> Just days before the final PUC siting hearing Goodhue Wind AWA posted environmental studies that they conducted. These studies find that American Bald Eagles and Loggerhead Shrikes exist throughout the project area. Their conclusions that their project will not adversely affect these protected avian species are questionable. Their speculation that since Loggerhead Shrikes fly low from tree to tree and turbine rotor blades are 100 hundred feet above the ground turbines will pose no threat to Loggerhead Shrikes is unsupported. All smaller birds fly low from tree to tree, but their flight ability is not limited to only flying low from tree to tree. The claim is also made that setbacks will protect the Loggerhead Shrikes. What setbacks? Project specified setbacks for this project are 1000 feet from participants and 1500 feet from non-participants. The project application does not specify any setbacks from Loggerhead Shrike populations, hunting grounds or nesting areas. Loggerhead Shrike habitat exists throughout the project area. It is logical to assume that Loggerhead Shrikes being predatory will fly from nesting areas to hunting areas by the shortest routes available regardless of the presence of Industrial Wind Turbines. Loggerhead Shrikes will likely encounter turbine blades at the average rates for all small birds. No study is in evidence as to how turbines will affect the natural habitat. The Loggerhead Shrikes may be driven from this area by the presence of turbines or the insects that they prey upon may be affected. The only fair conclusion as to the affect of permitting turbines near protected species like Bald Eagles and Loggerhead Shrikes is that the outcome is unknown at this time. Caution should be exercised.</p>
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<p> This matter concerns me greatly because I maintain 30 acres of my 80-acre farm in a natural state. This is partly because my land is highly erode able with wetland and a creek. However, the main reason is that I wish to do so. I chose not to develop my land at the expense of the environment. I ask that the PUC not endanger the environment that I have been protecting all my life.</p>
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<p> Rick Conrad 14 Oct 2010</p>
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