Washington is a wind power pioneer. The state’s early leadership in wind power has attracted more than $5 billion in capital investment to Washington’s economy, and created good-paying manufacturing and construction jobs.

As the operations and maintenance manager at Invenergy’s Vantage wind farm in Kittitas County, I’ve directly benefited from the job creation that results from harnessing the wind. And I’m not alone. Up to 2,000 Washington workers receive paychecks by working in wind.

However, the industry’s ability to keep creating jobs like ours is in jeopardy if Congress doesn’t act quickly and extend the Production Tax Credit. This successful federal tax policy attracts new investments in wind power, encouraging the development of new wind farms in our state.

The Vantage wind project is located in the district represented in Washington, D.C. by Congressman Dave Reichert. Rep. Reichert has been supportive of the Production Tax Credit in the past, knowing that wind power is a win-win when it comes to job creation, lower energy costs, energy independence, and cleaner air.

We need Congressman Reichert’s leadership again this year. We urge him to support extending the Production Tax Credit when he returns to work this fall.

Jay Smith, Vantage Energy Center, Ellensburg