(Houston Chronicle)
Andrew Schneider, KUHF Public Radio
Texas ranked sixth for job creation in the clean energy sector during the third quarter of 2012, up nine spots from the second quarter. But the industry as a whole is slowing down, and steep job losses may be on the way.
Texas has more wind installations for generating electricity than any other state. It’s also one of the top manufacturers of wind energy technology. So the state stands to take a massive hit when the wind production tax credit lapses at the end of December.
“And if Congress doesn’t do something about it, an estimated 37,000 Americans will lose their jobs.” Bob Keefe is a spokesman for the business group Environmental Entrepreneurs.
“We’re already seeing significant numbers of layoffs all year long, but pronounced in the third quarter, and folks are just shelving their plans in the wind industry right now, because they don’t know what’s going to happen in the next six weeks.”
EDP Renewables North America, a Houston-based wind developer, cut its workforce by 10% in September. Last month, Vestas Wind Systems announced it will close its research and development operations in Houston. Both companies cited uncertainty over the tax credit as the reason for the layoffs.
(Hear the full story at KUHF Public Radio)
OTHER LOCAL AREA HEADLINES:
- Jury sequestered in day care murder trial (KPRC 2 News)
- County redistricting case goes to court Tuesday (Houston Chronicle)
- City contract workers exposed to asbestos while on the job (KHOU 11 News)
- Football card helps build family (Houston Chronicle)
- Hart: The guy trying to patch the holes in our public health safety net (Houston Chronicle)
- Bar owners help subsidize shuttle buses for Montgomery Co. (KHOU 11 News)
- Second Fisher House breaks ground at VA (KTRK 13 News)
- Texas Medical Center honors 2012’s hired veterans (KRIV 26 News)
STATE, NATION & WORLD:
- State board seeks to cut grant amounts to aid more students (Houston Chronicle)
- Immigration not among hundreds of bills filed Monday (Houston Chronicle)
- Ahead of Session, “Sanctuary Cities” Debate Renews (Texas Tribune)
- UPS ends grants to Boy Scouts over discrimination (AP)
- FDA finds contamination issues at Ameridose (AP)
- Cold, Dark & Damp, Pockets of Misery Persist 2 Weeks Later (New York Times)
- U2’s Bono to urge U.S. politicians not to cut aid programs (AlertNet/Reuters)