FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Këri Bolding, CRS Communications Director, kbolding@resource-solutions.org (415) 561-21000 CRS ISSUES NEW STUDY FOR CHINA ON HOW TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL WIND TURBINE MANUFACTURING SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 6, 2005): The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced today the release of a new report based on an international study of policies and efforts to promote wind power industry development. Joanna Lewis and Ryan Wiser, on behalf of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), completed the report for China, documenting how 12 countries have encouraged local wind turbine manufacturing. The publication reveals specific policies, successful efforts, and valuable experiences to consider related to local wind manufacturing. "The goal of this report is to identify policy options and lessons learned for Chinese government officials to consider in the implementation of China’s National Renewable Energy Law,” said Jan Hamrin, President of CRS.crs2 China recently developed its first national renewable energy law, and seeks to expand its domestic use of renewable energy and develop accompanying local renewable energy technology industries. The new renewable energy law, effective January 2006, sets the stage for the widespread development of renewables. The law clearly indicates a desire for China to develop its own manufacturing capabilities in the renewable energy sector, and includes a national feed-in tariff system as an important component. “China is not the first country to try to support local wind turbine manufacturing,” said co-author Joanna Lewis,“ and much can be learned from the successful – and not so successful – efforts of other countries.” The report, A Review of International Experience with Policies to Promote Wind Power Industry Development, discusses the numerous potential benefits of local wind turbine manufacturing, including job creation and economic development, opportunities to export domestically-made wind turbines,and lower cost wind turbine equipment. The report also discusses various goals that countries might have in encouraging the localization of wind turbine manufacturing. With goals firmly established, international experience shows that a range of policy options can be used to support local wind industry development. “The most important lesson is that a strong domestic wind manufacturing industry needs a large and durable domestic market in which to sell its turbines,” said co-author Ryan Wiser. “As a result, the most important near-term activity may be to develop an effective feed-in tariff policy that creates a stable and growing demand for wind installations in China. Other policies that have been used successfully to directly encourage local wind turbine manufacturing include local manufacturing content requirements or incentives, preferential tax policy for domestic manufacturers, and aggressive domestic research and development activity. “International experience demonstrates that a number of viable policy options exist,” concludes Joanna Lewis, “and China would be well served to learn from this experience.” The report, A Review of International Experience with Policies to Promote Wind Power Industry Development, can be found on the CRS website at: http://resource-solutions.org/Library/Library-INTrenewpolicypage.htm. An unofficial English translation of China’s new National Renewable Energy Law is also available on the CRS website. For more information about the work of CRS in China, please visit http://www.resource-solutions.org/China.htm The work of the Center for Resource Solutions to advance the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in China is supported by the China Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, in partnership with the Energy Foundation. About the Center for Resource Solutions CRS is a national nonprofit working to increase the supply and use of renewable energy. CRS operates national and international programs that design clean energy policies, identify best practices and create implementation tools. CRS administers the nation’s leading certification and verification program for renewable energy, representing the largest segment of suppliers and purchasers in the nation. For more information about CRS, visit: www.resource-solutions.org. ###