Sen. Charles E. Schumer on Thursday moved to block the federal government from doling economic stimulus dollars to a $1.5 billion dollar wind farm planned for west Texas because it will rely on turbines manufactured in China.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was “furious” about the possibility stimulus dollars could flow to the project, a collaboration among Texas-based Cielo Wind Power, China’s Shenyang Power Group and the private equity firm U.S. Renewable Energy Group.
Under the $787 billion economic stimulus package enacted in February, the group is eligible to seek a federal grant paying for 30 percent of certain costs on the planned 648-megawatt wind farm. Although the project is expected to involve 2,000 to 3,000 manufacturing jobs in China, Schumer said it would create just a little over 300 in the U.S.
Schumer said that was unacceptable, and urged Energy Secretary Steven Chu to deny the consortium any taxpayer dollars until they agree to rely on U.S.-made turbines and towers rather than parts manufactured in China.
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