Truman National Security Project

WASHINGTON, DC—Operation Free, a national coalition of veterans seeking to secure America with clean energy, today welcomed local Illinois veterans to Washington, D.C. for a series of meetings with members of Congress and their staff. The fly-in is designed to educate lawmakers about the importance of extending the Wind Production Tax Credit (PTC). The veterans coming in predominantly work in the wind industry.

During the group’s two day visit, the delegation will meet personally with the staffs of Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL 15th District), Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL 18th District). Specifically, the meetings will focus on how extending the Wind PTC will create jobs in Illinois and help meet America’s energy security goals.

“Wind-generated electricity diversifies our energy supply and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, which strengthens our economic and national security,” said Operation Free spokesman, Mike Breen. “We are proud to stand with these Illinois veterans who have traveled to our nation’s capital to help educate our members of Congress about the benefits of wind. These meetings provide a critical opportunity for veterans who found job opportunities in the wind industry to interact one-on-one with their legislators and inform them about the issues that are most important to them and their state.”

The delegation includes Fred Kelo, Senior Operations Manager of EDP Renewables and John Majewski of Invenergy.

The Wind PTC is due to expire at the end of this year unless Congress votes to renew it.  Veterans hold a high percentage of the 75,000 jobs supported by the wind industry in the United States, which are at risk if the credit is allowed to lapse. .

“This is an important opportunity for veterans in the wind industry to speak directly with the policy makers in Washington about the benefits of clean, renewable wind energy,” said Fred Kelo, Senior Operations Manager of EDP Renewables. “The wind industry creates good paying jobs for veterans in particular because the skills we developed in our service are sought after by clean energy companies. Extending the wind production tax credit will help boost our local economy and help Illinois contribute to America’s energy security.”

Fred Kelo and John Majewski were joined on their trip by veterans from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

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Operation Free is a national coalition of US military veterans working to send the message that America’s security relies on ending our addiction to oil and establishing clean, renewable sources of energy. Operation Free is a campaign of the Truman National Security Project.