Truman Fellow Erin Mazurksy in PolicyMic:
On Thursday, President Obama traveled to Newton, Iowa to visit TPI Composites, a provider of, among other things, wind energy composites. He spoke on the importance of renewing the Production Tax Credit (PTC), which provides important tax credits supporting American-made clean energy manufacturing across the country. These credits not only support nearly 50,000 jobs, but also have the potential to create more. But the benefit of supporting American-made clean energy extends far beyond direct job benefits and bringing money into the economy.
In 2005, I spent a summer in the small town of Siuna, Nicaragua. Situated in the northwest mountains of the country, flying into the small strip of cleared land was the only reliable way of traveling there from Nicaragua’s capital city. At the center of town, where the two main thoroughfares (read: 1-lane streets) intersected, Siuna was getting its first paved roads. The closest computer with internet access was a 45-minute walk. But perhaps even more isolating were the random days we spent inside the clinic without electricity, trying to examine people’s eyes and the even darker nights living by candlelight.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Truman National Security Project or Educational Institute.
