Obama to Hit Romney on Wind Energy in Iowa

OSKALOOSA, Iowa - President Obama will tout the job-creating potential of wind energy on the trail in Iowa today, contrasting his views with those of Mitt Romney.

At three stops in the large wind-producing state, Obama is expected to hit Romney for not wanting to extend tax credits for wind energy companies.

"My opponent and I disagree when it comes to homegrown energy like wind," Obama said Monday in Boone, Iowa. "Wind power is creating new jobs all across Iowa. But Governor Romney says he wants to end the tax credit for wind energy producers.

"America generates more than twice as much electricity from wind than when I took office. That's right. The wind industry supports about 7,000 jobs right here in Iowa. Without these wind energy tax credits, those jobs are at risk, 37,000 jobs across the country would be at risk.

"So my attitude is let's stop giving taxpayer subsidies to oil companies that don't need them, and let's invest in clean energy that will put people back to work right here in Iowa," he added. "That's a choice in this election."

To make his point, the president will likely highlight a new Energy Department report out today that found wind power amounted for 32 percent of new electric capacity in the United States, representing a $14 billion investment.

Romney spokesman Ryan Williams, in response to the president's wind energy push, said, "Mitt Romney is a strong supporter of wind power and appreciates the industry's extraordinary technological progress and its important contributions to America's energy supply.

"Unfortunately, under President Obama's approach, the industry has lost 10,000 jobs while growth in wind power nationally has slowed every single year of his term. Mitt Romney will instead set the industry on a course for success and growth by promoting policies that remove regulatory barriers, support free enterprise and market-based competition, and reward technological innovation," he said in a written statement.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-hit-romney-wind-energy-iowa-141858401--abc-news-politics.html

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