Wind industry outlines priorities for this year

Sarah Howell, AWEA’s spokeswoman, said the group will be pushing for inclusion in energy legislation of a renewable electricity standard, which would require that a certain percentage of the country’s electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar power. But Howell said the group is not advocating for a specific percentage. “Right now, we just want to keep it in the vocabulary.”

Howell also suggested the trade group would not immediately dismiss proposals that broaden the standard to include natural gas, nuclear and coal with carbon capture technology. “It’s something we’d have to look at to see what it’s like,” she said. A number of Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have signaled their interest in the proposal, which is often called a clean energy standard.

It’s unclear what shape an energy bill might take next year, though a slew of lawmakers have said they would like to revive energy talks.