American Wind Energy Association
The association has more than 2,500 members, including utilities, parts manufacturers and researchers.

What They Want
AWEA's main priority is ensuring any climate change legislation includes a strong Renewable Electricity Standard (also referred to as the Renewable Energy Standard or the Renewables Portfolio Standard), which would set requirements for the percentage of electricity that large utilities produce from renewable sources.

Rob Gramlich, the group's senior vice president for public policy, said they want to make sure that short-term targets are strong enough to encourage the still-maturing renewable fuel industry. "We can't let the industry continue to have boon and busts and expect manufacturers and supply chains to invest here," Gramlich said. "We're working with Senate offices to get a strengthening amendment to get a meaningful near-term target."

The House energy bill calls for 6 percent of energy to come from renewables by 2012 and 20 percent by 2020. The Kerry-Boxer bill in the Senate does not include an RES, but Gramlich said he expects that bill to be combined with legislation already passed by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which would require 3 percent of energy to come from renewables by 2013 and 15 percent by 2021.

Deal Breakers
Gramlich said that a "flurry of amendments" included in the House bill weakened its renewable standard and that the bill from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources panel "requires less renewable energy than the national already has, which means it doesn't have any impact until later years when the percentage grows."

How Much They've Spent
AWEA was out in front in its lobbying efforts in the first half of the year, spending $1.2 and $1.8 million in the first two quarters, but that number dropped to just $800,000 in the third quarter. Still, the group remains among the 10 highest-spending energy industry groups, according to lobbying disclosure forms. Its total revenue from 2007 was just over $14 million.

AWEA's political action committee contributed roughly $45,000 to candidates in the 2009 election, including red state Democrats such as Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Of that $45,000, most -- $39,000 -- went to Democrats, according to the Center For Responsive Politics. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowki, R-Alaska, also received contributions from AWEA.

Key Players
AWEA CEO Denise Bode (right) has testified to multiple House committees on renewable energy this year but is not listed as a registered lobbyist. She worked previously as the president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America for seven years.

The group rolled out its new legislative affairs team in September, which included a promotion for Gramlich and two new hires. Chris Chwastyk is the group's new vice president of federal legislative affairs, and Jim Martin, a longtime Republican strategist who worked on Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign last year, was hired as AWEA's director of strategic policy initiatives. Martin and Chwastyk are among AWEA's seven registered lobbyists, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Links
Legislative priorities
AWEA 3rd Quarter Market Report

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