Wind Empowerment Zones

摘要

The federal Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community program was created to stimulate economic development in the hardest hit urban and rural areas. The EZ/EC program provides focused tax incentives, grants and loans to businesses that create economic activity in those areas. This paper explores the concept of using wind power in the EZ/EC program as a way to produce sustainable economic development in rural areas. A "Wind Empowerment Zone" program could be implemented in current EZ/EC areas, could be incorporated into future EZ/EC activity, or could be created as a new and separate federal program. The most likely areas for Wind EZ status are those that have struggling economies, strong wind resources and political leadership able to make it happen. There are a number of trends that are favorable to the Wind Empowerment Zone concept. Swings in agriculture markets and ongoing changes in farm economics have caused many rural areas to try to diversify. While some areas have succeeded, others have not. And even areas that have made progress are witnessing a shake-out of small farms.