John Cornyn keeps his promise to support wind

Only 3 weeks ago, before an audience of 500 business leaders, at the powerful Fort Worth Petroleum Club, Senator John Cornyn, said: "We will pass the Alternative Energy Bill, as soon as I return to the session". He was speaking before an audience who knew that Wind Energy is a $7,000,000.00 a year industry in Texas, and the fastest growing industry in Texas. The bill offers tax advantages to those who invest in alternative energy and try to encourage new "clean" sources of renewable power.

A week later, to everyone's surprize, Senator John Cornyn opposed the bill as it went to the House, because he didn't like language about "offshore drilling" in the bill.

"This could kill the future of development of big wind as a growth industry in Texas" said the director of the AWEA, and the Mayor of Sweetwater spoke out saying that the Senator was hurting the future economic growth of Texas.

Cornyn has a reputation for changing his mind, but some people considered this a more serious. "We specifically asked him, in Fort Worth, and he specifically said he would support this bill. Now to use a language loop hole to oppose it, is disingenuous." said Ernst Diener an international businessman. Many of us, including this publication, put pressure on the Senator to keep his promise. John decided that he preferred to support jobs and economic growth through wind, than the other route.

After an outcry from voters, we are glad to report, that he has. The U.S. Senate passed the bill by an overwhelming majority passed the Wind Tax Energy Credit bill, and then was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. So, it seems that the Senator kept his promise after all, and so did the House. We suggested that the members of the House pass the bill, and in light of the Wall Street mess, this is one area of the economy that is and will grow. With 76,000 jobs and $11.5 billion in wind energy investment this is a new and important industry.

Wind energy is not only a significant component of the global warming solution, but also a powerful engine in the U.S. economy. Since January 2007, more than 40 wind industry manufacturing facilities have been announced, brought online or expanded in the U.S., creating over 9,000 jobs and $1 billion in manufacturing investment.