News

Enron Wind Trims Down Labor Force

June 01, 1999 by Jeff Shepard

Enron Wind Corp. (Bakersfield, CA) slashed their employee rolls in response to the elimination of federal wind power tax credits. Eighty workers at their Zond Energy Systems manufacturing facility in Tehachapi, California will be laid off by July 20th. The factory opened two years ago.The tax credit of 1 1/2cents per kilowatt hour of power produced will end in June, 1999. That tax credit allowed wind power to compete cost-wise with fossil fuels according to Ken Karas, President and CEO of Enron. He feels the cutting of the credit will result in a slow-down in wind power development in the US.