The U.S. electric grid was rated an unacceptable D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers—hardly the backbone we need for a 21st Century, high-tech U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON — The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) issued the following statement reacting to President Trump's new executive orders on energy and infrastructure:

"We agree enhancing U.S. energy infrastructure is a critical priority, but these executive orders miss a major opportunity by focusing almost exclusively on pipelines, whose capacity has increased ten times faster than electric transmission capacity over the past decade. The U.S. electric grid was rated an unacceptable D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers—hardly the backbone we need for a 21st Century, high-tech U.S. economy. With billions in private investment to upgrade and expand transmission infrastructure being held up by regulatory uncertainty and inefficient process, we are missing a huge opportunity by focusing on only part of the infrastructure solution." - Amy Farrell, Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, AWEA.

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AWEA is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. We represent 1,000 member companies and over 100,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, serving as a powerful voice for how wind works for America. Members include global leaders in wind power and energy development, turbine manufacturing, and component and service suppliers. They gather each year at the Western Hemisphere's largest wind power trade show, the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, next in Houston, May 20-23, 2019. Find information about wind energy on the AWEA website. Gain insight into industry issues on AWEA's blog, Into the Wind. And please join us on Facebook, and follow @AWEA on Twitter.