At the time of writing, the PES team and I are packing our bags in readiness for our trip to Atlanta, or to be more specific: to WINDPOWER 2012. The AWEA show is the focal point for wind professionals to network with and learn from industry leaders and experts, and to discover the latest in products and services. We’re hugely proud and privileged to be involved with the show, especially at such an exciting time for the industry.
The stats speaks for themselves. Wind power is currently forging ahead into new states like Ohio and Nevada while doubling down on installations in existing strong wind markets in California, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. Illinois, for example, has been a very strong performer over the past 12 months, clocking in as #2 for installations in the last year and rising to #4 in wind power overall (the only mover in the overall top 10) and Kansas tops the under construction list with more than 1,188 megawatts of wind scheduled to come on line by the end of 2012.
As Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association explains: “This shows what wind power is capable of: building new projects, powering local economies and creating jobs… Traditional tax incentives are working. This tremendous activity is being driven by the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) – which leveraged an average of more than $16 billion a year in private investment over the last several years and supported tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.”
“In hard economic times we’re creating jobs and delivering clean, affordable electricity,” Bode stressed. “But we will lose all these consumer benefits and a brand new, growing manufacturing sector if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit to expire. Businesses need certainty.” Bode’s right, of course, and we take a close look at the business climate within these pages and set a course for an even more prosperous future.
