American Wind Action launched a statewide campaign in Colorado Tuesday to encourage the Colorado congressional delegation to recognize the benefits of wind energy, and to support efforts to protect its 7,000 local jobs and contribution to the local economy.

The group be airing several TV, print, radio and digital ads throughout the state for the remainder of the year.

“As AWA’s new campaign demonstrates, wind energy is helping power a job creation boom in Colorado – providing well-paying job opportunities in a variety of careers and trades for its citizens, including our nation’s veterans,”Spokeswoman Maureen Westphal said in a press release. “Through this campaign, AWA seeks to educate the public and connect those who stand to benefit most from wind energy, its citizens, with their members of Congress, who hold the wind community’s future in their hands.”

She says the U.S. Senate has acknowledged the benefits of wind energy in its recent deliberations on tax reform, but that actions by the U.S. House have undercut wind energy, putting more than 102,000 jobs at risk, 7,000 of them in Colorado.

“As the debate continues at the federal level, AWA will continue fighting on behalf of workers, and they expect the Colorado congressional delegation to do the same,” Westphal said.

As part of the new campaign, AWA will share with Coloradoans information about the benefits of wind energy, which includes creating well-paying U.S. jobs and supporting the economy:

· Wind energy has created 7,000 Colorado jobs and more than 102,000 American jobs in all 50 states – more than in nuclear, coal, natural gas, or hydroelectric power.

· Wind energy jobs grew at a rate nine times faster than the overall U.S. economy in last year.

· Wind energy employs 50 percent more veterans compared to other industries.

· The cost of wind energy has decreased by two-thirds in the last seven years.

· Wind turbine technicians and solar installers are America’s two fastest-growing job descriptions, 2016 through 2026.

· Since 2013, wind energy jobs have grown by 25 percent per year.

fore more, visit https://www.americanwindaction.org.

This summer, the wind advocacy group launched a seven-figure ad campaign in Washington, D.C., to target federal officials – namely President Trump – weighing budget cuts and policies that could harm the industry.

Trump has made negative comments about wind in the past, including labeling turbines as unsightly and a threat to birds.