Wind industry: Rep. Stearns ‘misunderstands’ us

{mosads}But the report notes that wind turbine manufacturing in the United States “is partially dependent upon federal and state policies,” many of which are set to expire in the coming years.

“Future decisions about these policies will affect the extent to which wind turbine manufacturing becomes an important industrial sector in the United States,” the report says.

Stearns, in a recent interview, said the United States “can’t compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines.”

The White House pounced on Stearns’s remarks, calling them an example of “counterproductive defeatism.” President Obama in a news conference Thursday also criticized Stearns.

“I don’t buy that,” Obama said in reference to the idea that the United States can’t compete with China in such areas, though he didn’t name Stearns specifically. “I’m not going to surrender to other countries’ technological leads that could end up determining whether or not we’re building a strong middle class in this country.”

The chairman of the Oversight subpanel hit back at the White House later Thursday, arguing that the president’s continued support for providing loan guarantees to renewable-energy companies shows a lack of understanding of the nation’s economic system.

Stearns told reporters earlier this week that his comments were taken out of context.

“I said, as it’s structured now, we can’t compete with China because they have low wages, access to materials and they have no environmental conditions,” Stearns said Tuesday in the Capitol.

“The only way we can compete is to bring the technological advantage we’ve got in the computer industry and the aerospace industry and to manufacture our products with that [information technology] advantage — otherwise we can’t compete. So, they left that whole quote out.”

American solar manufacturing does face a number of challenges, including competition from China, which has invested billions in the industry.

The Obama administration has called on policymakers to support continued investment in solar energy to compete with China and other countries.

But Republicans have pummeled the White House over the Solyndra bankruptcy, alleging the administration didn’t properly vet the company and raising questions about the Obama’s “green jobs” agenda.

Solyndra filed for bankruptcy last month and laid off 1,100 workers.