April 25, 2013
Blogs, U.S.

Wind power lobby names new CEO

By Ben Geman | E2 Wire | The Hill | 04/25/2013 | thehill.comBy Ben Geman | E2 Wire | The Hill | 04/25/2013 | thehill.com

The wind industry’s main trade association has snagged Tom Kiernan, the longtime president of the National Parks Conservation Association, to be the energy group’s next CEO.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is bringing him on board as the growing industry faces major political battles, including the looming expiration of a key tax credit that received a short-term extension in January’s “fiscal cliff” agreement.

“Bringing Tom Kiernan aboard as CEO represents a huge win for AWEA and another step forward in our efforts to elevate wind energy’s role as a critical national resource,” said Tom Carnahan, the chairman of AWEA’s board.

Kiernan has headed the National Parks Conservation Association for 15 years. He was also a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency under President George H.W. Bush, among other earlier jobs.

AWEA spent $330,000 on lobbying in the first quarter of 2013, according to disclosure filings.

The group lobbied on topics including the production tax credit, and proposals to enable use of the “master limited partnership” tax structure for renewable energy projects (a topic E2-Wire has more about here).

Kiernan said in a statement that he’s “honored and excited” to take the new job.

“With wind energy building over 40 percent of new electrical generation in the U.S. last year, the massive public support for more renewable energy, and the recent extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) by Congress and the President, we have a unique opportunity to work together to make wind energy a more integral part of our national energy portfolio,” he said in a statement.

He replaces former AWEA CEO Denise Bode, who resigned several months ago.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/25/wind-power-lobby-names-new-ceo/