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Senator says wind farm to create jobs in China

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Comments 0
Published: November 7, 2009

WASHINGTON — A Democratic senator this week called on the Obama administration to reject an expected request for federal economic stimulus money as part of a $1.5 billion West Texas wind energy project, saying it will generate Chinese, not American, jobs — a claim strongly disputed by the project’s developer.

The U.S.-China venture, announced last week, would erect 240 huge Chinese-manufactured wind turbines on 36,000 acres in West Texas, with the Export-Import Bank of China committed to handle most of the financing.

But Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the project reportedly also may be seeking 30 percent funding from economic stimulus grants from the Energy Department — funds he said would used to buy turbines and other components made in a Chinese plant.

"The idea that stimulus funds would be used to create jobs overseas is quite troubling,” Schumer wrote in a letter to be sent to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The senator urged Chu to reject any request for funds from the Texas project.

"The purpose of the (stimulus program) was to jump-start the economy to create and save jobs — American jobs,” the senator wrote. "Yet the Texas wind farm project would create an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs in China.”