West Coast Publishing Ocean 2014 affirmative page

Offshore Wind Aff Extensions

Inherency Ext.

Oil Lobby Prevents Investment (Attitudinal)

The oil lobby prevents significant Congressional investment in offshore wind

Robert Bowen, Staff Writer, March 5, 2014, “Can offshore wind farms also reduce damage from hurricanes?,” The Examiner, http://www.examiner.com/article/can-offshore-wind-farms-also-reduce-damage-from-hurricanes, Accessed 5/14/2014

There currently are no offshore wind farms in the U.S. although eleven are under construction. Wind farms are providing clean energy in many other nations, however, without incident. One reason for this is that our lobbyist-owned Congress believes in off- shore oil drilling, but not offshore wind generation. The laws, regulations, permitting processes, and the tax subsidy system is totally geared to encourage off shore oil wells — even post-BP — and the huge profits they produce. They are stacked against wind farms, however.

ITC Not Extended Now

ITC extension was included in the EXPIRE Act, which hasn’t made it to the Senate floor

Mary Kate Francis, Staff Writer, April 11, 2014, “Keeping the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit in perspective,”

http://aweablog.org/blog/post/keeping-the-renewable-energy-production-tax-credit-in-perspective, Accessed 5/18/2014

The Committee later approved, via voice vote, the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act of 2014.  This bill includes an extension of the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC) which would let wind energy developers qualify for the tax credits if they start construction on their wind projects by the end of 2015.  The next step will be for the EXPIRE Act to move to the Senate floor for consideration.

Senate Republicans just shut down the Expire Act

Lisa Desjardins, CNN Capitol Hill Reporter, May 16, 2014, “Strange times: Republicans block tax credits -- as a protest,” CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/politics/republicans-tax-credits/, Accessed 5/18/2014

It is a rare, strange day when Senate Republicans vote to block billions in tax cuts. But that's what happened Thursday when they chose to freeze a massive tax credit package in order to protest how Democrats are running the chamber. By a vote of 53-40, the EXPIRE Act, which would extend $85 billion in tax credits, failed to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Only one Republican, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, voted with Democrats to advance the measure. The rest of the GOP votes were "no," as Republicans vented anger that Democrats have refused to allow votes on their amendments to this and most other bills in the past year.

Advantage: Economic Growth Ext.

Jobs Internal Links

Expanding offshore wind creates millions of jobs and revitalizes shipyards

Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wind & Water Power Program and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, February 2011, A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Energy Industry in the United States, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/ national_offshore_wind_strategy.pdf, Accessed 4/13/2014

Deployment of wind energy along U.S. coasts would also trigger direct and indirect economic benefits. According to NREL analysis and extrapolation of European studies, offshore wind would create approximately 20.7 direct jobs per annual megawatt installed in U.S. waters. Installing 54 GW of offshore wind capacity in U.S. waters would create more than 43,000 permanent operations and maintenance (O&M) jobs and would require more than 1.1 million job‐years to manufacture and install the turbines. Many of these jobs would be located in economically depressed ports and shipyards, which could be revitalized as fabrication and staging areas for the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of offshore wind turbines.

The plan could create 43,000 new permanent jobs and millions in job years. These new jobs will not be outsourced

Walter Musial, Principal Engineer, National Wind Technology Center at NREL and Bonnie Ram, Ram Power, L.L.C., September 2010, “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States, Assessment of Opportunities and Barriers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL), http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/40745.pdf, Accessed 5/10/2014

Most of the labor for offshore wind will draw from local and regional sources that cannot be easily outsourced overseas. Analysis done at NREL, extrapolated from European studies, estimates that offshore wind will create approximately 20.7 direct jobs per annual megawatt in the United States. In addition, approximately 0.8 jobs would be created for every cumulative megawatt of offshore wind in operation. If 54 GW were installed under the 20% scenario, more than 43,000 permanent operations and maintenance (O&M) jobs and more than 1.1 million job-years would be required to manufacture and install the turbines.

54 gigawatts would create over $2 billion in economic activity and more than 43,000 permanent jobs

Walter Musial, Principal Engineer, National Wind Technology Center at NREL and Bonnie Ram, Ram Power, L.L.C., September 2010, “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States, Assessment of Opportunities and Barriers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL), http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/40745.pdf, Accessed 5/10/2014

Revitalize its manufacturing sector. Building 54 GW of offshore wind energy facilities would generate an estimated $200 billion in new economic activity and create more than 43,000 permanent, well-paid technical jobs in manufacturing, construction, engineering, operations and maintenance. Extrapolating from European studies, NREL estimates that offshore wind will create more than 20 direct jobs for every megawatt produced in the United States.

Manufacturing Sector Key

The plan creates a strong domestic wind industry that revitalizes U.S. manufacturing. This creates over $200 billion in revenue and tons of jobs

Walter Musial, Principal Engineer, National Wind Technology Center at NREL and Bonnie Ram, Ram Power, L.L.C., September 2010, “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States, Assessment of Opportunities and Barriers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL), http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/40745.pdf, Accessed 5/10/2014

Developing a domestic wind industry offers a viable way to revitalize our domestic manufacturing sector and create high-paying, stable jobs while increasing the nation’s competitiveness in twenty-first century energy technologies. In the 20% scenario, 54 GW of offshore wind would create more than $200 billion in new economic activity with a high percentage of that revenue remaining in the local economies. This offshore wind power development would create many benefits beyond the $200 billion in revenues because the power generated would have no fuel price variability, no emissions, and no significant use of water resources. Finally, offshore wind development would reduce dependence on foreign energy resources.

Increasing offshore wind revitalizes the manufacturing sector and overall U.S. economy while reducing emissions

Walter Musial, Principal Engineer, National Wind Technology Center at NREL and Bonnie Ram, Ram Power, L.L.C., September 2010, “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States, Assessment of Opportunities and Barriers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL), http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/40745.pdf, Accessed 5/10/2014

Offshore wind has the potential to address all three issues: the energy supply, the environment, and the economy. Offshore wind uses the vast renewable wind resources adjacent to the ocean perimeter of the United States, which are domestic, indigenous, inexhaustible energy supplies in close proximity to our urban energy load centers. Offshore wind turbines can convert the strong ocean winds into clean, renewable power with no harmful emissions. Offshore wind has the potential to contribute significantly to the revitalization of the U.S. manufacturing sector, which will help strengthen both the economies of coastal states and the U.S. economy as a whole.

Increasing offshore wind revitalizes ports and manufacturing to reduce costs

Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wind & Water Power Program and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, February 2011, A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Energy Industry in the United States, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/ national_offshore_wind_strategy.pdf, Accessed 4/13/2014

Offshore wind provides an opportunity for revitalization of U.S. ports and heavy industry facilities. Due to the large scale of offshore wind turbine components, towers and foundation structures, it is generally advantageous to limit or eliminate overland transport from assembly and installation scenarios in order to maximize process efficiency and minimize logistics time and costs. In addition, European experience has clearly indicated that it will be necessary to create a purpose‐built installation, operations, and maintenance (IO&M) infrastructure for offshore wind, including specialized vessels and port facilities. To assist industry and regional port facilities in making informed decisions regarding design requirements for IO&M infrastructure, DOE will participate in collaborative studies of infrastructure needs and capabilities for the benefit of all national regions.

Winds Protects Against Billions in Damages

Wind farms can protect shores from billions in damage

Wendy Koch, Staff Writer, February 26, 2014, “Offshore wind farms can tame hurricanes, study finds,” USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/26/offshore-wind-farms-tame-hurricanes/5813425/, Accessed 5/10/2014

Billions of dollars in U.S. damage from mega-storms Katrina and Sandy might have been avoided with a perhaps surprising device — wind turbines. That's the finding of a ground-breaking study today that says mammoth offshore wind farms can tame hurricanes rather than be destroyed by them. It says a phalanx of tens of thousands of turbines can lower a hurricane's wind speed up to 92 mph and reduce its storm surge up to 79%. Unlike sea walls, which protect cities from storm surges, wind farms pay for themselves by generating pollution-free electricity, says lead author Mark Jacobson, an engineering professor at Stanford University. "The additional hurricane (protection) benefit is free."

Large offshore wind farms can mitigate billions in damages from hurricanes

James Ayre, Staff Writer for Clean Technica, February 28, 2014, “Offshore wind farms hold potential to weaken hurricanes, research finds,” The Raw Story, http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/28/offshore-wind-farms-hold-potential-to-weaken-hurricanes-research-finds/, Accessed 5/14/2014

Large offshore wind farms — ones possessing thousands of wind turbines — hold the potential to notably diminish the power of large hurricanes, according to new research from Stanford University and the University of Delaware. In particular, the research found that such wind farms could have limited the power of three recent real-life hurricanes (Sandy, Isaac, and Katrina), both decreasing their wind speeds and limiting the accompanying storm surge. These are factors which would have greatly lessened the billions of dollars in damages that the storms all caused.

Coastal Population Growth Magnifies the Impacts

123 million people live along U.S. coasts and will grow

Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.), U.S. House of Representatives, June 04, 2013, “Don’t let another hurricane season blow by without climate action,” The Hill, http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-a-environment/303093-dont-let-another-hurricane-season-blow-by-without-climate-action, Accessed 5/14/2014

More than 123 million people—39 percent of our nation’s population—live in communities hugging the nation's coastline, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  And the agency projects that the coastal population will continue to increase.  Remedial efforts will provide some short-term fixes, but ultimately, Congress must step up and face the elephant in the room—our changing climate. 

Uniqueness – Growth Minimal Now / U.S. Key

The U.S. and global economies are in a holding pattern with minimal growth

Zachary Karabell, Guest contributor and a money manager, May 1, 2014, “Cassandras Everywhere,” Slate, http://www.slate.com/ articles/business/the_edgy_optimist/2014/05/global_economic_collapse_the_cassandras_who_are_predicting_a_crash.html, Accessed 5/18/2014

All is placid in financeland. Stocks in the U.S. and globally have been in a holding pattern since December; bonds as well. Overall economic data—limited though it may be and flawed though it certainly is—shows steady unspectacular growth in the United States and similar patterns worldwide. Not the most stirring big picture, and certainly one with many challenges—from wages to global stability—but hardly the most unnerving.

The U.S. is key to global economic growth in 2015

Nicholas J. Mangee, an assistant professor of economics at Armstrong Atlantic State University, April 24, 2014, “Our economic times: IMF reports U.S. economy to drive global growth,” Business in Savannah, http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2014-04-24/our-economic-times-imf-reports-us-economy-drive-global-growth#.U3jaf_k8CSo, Accessed 5/18/2014

The latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) states that the U.S. will lead global economic growth through 2015. This is welcome news as our nation continues to battle with notions of the “new economic norm” characterized by droves of long-term unemployed and dysfunctional politics. Although U.S. economic growth has shown sloth-like progress on the heels of the great recession, our recovery has outpaced that of other advanced economies. And, in light of weakened financial positions and mounting geopolitical risks, emerging nations such as Brazil and Russia, once anointed as the new global economic engines, have had their 2014-15 growth estimates slashed by the IMF.

Impact Ext.

Economic decline increases the likeliness of nuclear conflict

Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow-in-Residence of Post Carbon Institute, December 12, 2012, “Conflict and Change in the Era of Economic Decline: Part 2: War and peace in a shrinking economy,” http://www.resilience.org/stories/2012-12-12/conflict-and-change-in-the-era-of-economic-decline-part-2-war-and-peace-in-a-shrinking-economy, Accessed 5/18/2014

When empires crumble, as they always do, the result is often a free-for-all among previous subject nations and potential rivals as they sort out power relations. The British Empire was a seeming exception to this rule: in that instance, the locus of military, political, and economic power simply migrated to an ally across the Atlantic. A similar graceful transfer seems unlikely in the case of the U.S., as economic decline during the 21st century will be global in scope. A better analogy to the current case might be the fall of Rome, which led to centuries of incursions by barbarians as well as uprisings in client states. Disaster per se need not lead to violence, as Rebecca Solnit argues in her book A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster. She documents five disasters—the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; earthquakes in San Francisco and Mexico City; a giant ship explosion in Halifax, Canada; and 9/11—and shows that rioting, looting, rape, and murder were not automatic results. Instead, for the most part, people pulled together, shared what resources they had, cared for the victims, and in many instances found new sources of joy in everyday life. However, the kinds of social stresses we are discussing now may differ from the disasters Solnit surveys, in that they comprise a “long emergency,” to borrow James Kunstler’s durable phrase. For every heartwarming anecdote about the convergence of rescuers and caregivers on a disaster site, there is a grim historic tale of resource competition turning normal people into monsters. In the current context, a continuing source of concern must be the large number of nuclear weapons now scattered among nine nations. While these weapons primarily exist as a deterrent to military aggression, and while the end of the Cold War has arguably reduced the likelihood of a massive release of these weapons in an apocalyptic fury, it is still possible to imagine several scenarios in which a nuclear detonation could occur as a result of accident, aggression, pre-emption, or retaliation. We are in a race—but it’s not just an arms race; indeed, it may end up being an arms race in reverse. In many nations around the globe the means to pay for armaments and war are starting to disappear; meanwhile, however, there is increasing incentive to engage in international conflict as a way of re-channeling the energies of jobless young males and of distracting the general populace, which might otherwise be in a revolutionary mood. We can only hope that historical momentum can maintain The Great Peace until industrial nations are sufficiently bankrupt that they cannot afford to mount foreign wars on any substantial scale.

Economic growth benefits biodiversity

Emma Duncan, Staff Writer, September 14, 2013, “All creatures great and small,” The Economist, p. 4.

Endangered species have benefited from some of the concomitants of growth, too. Improved sanitation has made the planet healthier, as has regulation of pesticides. Cleaner air is better for biodiversity. As countries get richer, they tend to become more peaceful and better governed and their population growth slows down. Technological progress has improved life for other species, making conservation efforts more effective.