Anjuli Kronheim, Des Moines Register Guest Column: Clean energy keeps jobs, wealth in Iowa

Iowa exports more than $12 billion a year for energy. That wealth has taken jobs and opportunity with it for decades. But we are now on the cusp of a new clean-energy era, one that generates power and green jobs here at home.

Already, our state is experiencing the economic benefits of cleaner energy. While other states are struggling to produce jobs, our six wind manufacturing plants have created 2,000 new, high-paying jobs in just the last two years. These businesses have been so successful that Iowa Lakes Community College, which trains wind technicians, is struggling to keep up with demand. We lead the nation on a percentage basis by generating 5.5 percent of our electricity through wind. However, we can and must do more to achieve the greenhouse-gas reductions recommended by the world’s best scientists to prevent the most devastating effects of global warming.

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