By Michael Bergey, DWEA President

The way I see it, the outcome of the elections on Nov. 5th will be hugely impactful for the U.S. distributed wind energy market and our industry. While the races for the White House and control of the House and Senate are too close to call, the situation for our industry has markedly improved over the last several months. I am optimistic that we will fare well.

One week following the election, which hopefully will have been decided, the DWEA Board will meet in Washington, D.C., for a day of strategic planning and a day of meetings with key allies on the Hill and the administration. Those meetings could be planning defense, or it could be offense. If my optimism proves prescient, then I think the DW industry is well positioned to make significant strides in federal policy and funding support over the next two to four years. USDA and DOE programs for sure, but also revisiting the Section 25D residential tax credits (e.g., direct pay and ITC bonuses), addressing utility discriminatory polices (e.g., interconnection, buy-back, maybe even net-metering), systemic permitting obstacles (e.g., height restrictions and setbacks), and environmental assessments (e.g., NEPA and Categorical Exclusions). Our opportunities list is long.

If I’m right and we are able to capitalize on a positive election result, the hard and steady work of DWEA will provide a foundation for even greater success in the coming months and years.