A unique, non-political, national organization that is a think-tank and project manager, The Wind Alliance is currently gaining momentum in the US. With a raft of organizations coming on-board to further the goals and perceptions of the wind industry, it looks set to shift perceptions and drive change. PES is proud to put some questions to Claire E. Henkhaus, the organization’s Associate Director.
PES: Welcome to PES, can you outline the goals of the Wind Alliance and explain why it was initiated?
Claire Henkhaus: The Wind Alliance was originally initiated to bring together industry, academia and the public sector within Texas to align activities and funding for the benefit of its members and the Texas wind industry. Quickly The Wind Alliance discovered that the issues facing the wind industry are widespread and that if we focus on solutions at a higher level, across the United States, everyone will benefit.
If we focus on Texas (or any state) in isolation, we are not solving the root of the problem. To reach the goals of 2030, industry growth must accelerate quickly. There are barriers to this growth and we are trying to bring leadership together across the board to build a bridge. We have been successful in getting universities to work with rival universities, and companies to work with their competition. We are a unique, precompetitive platform for project execution and we are adding value.
The Wind Alliance’s vision, mission, envisioned future and objectives are as follows:
Vision
Manifest a new reality for America where wind energy is a primary source of electricity that is available, accessible and profitable.
Mission
To collaboratively solve unsolved problems for the continuous advancement of the wind industry.
Envisioned Future
To become the most valuable, apolitical resource in the U.S. wind industry.
Objectives
(1) To become the neutral platform to align the wind industry, (2) to support our members’ goals and interests, (3) to offer project and program management services, and (4) to have a purpose and deliverable for 100% of initiatives.
PES: What are the particular challenges faced by the 12 wind corridor states?
CH: The Wind Alliance initially focused on the 12 states within the wind corridor. We quickly discovered that, to be truly collaborative and reach our goals, we need to focus on the wind industry within the United States as a whole. Wind doesn’t stop blowing at a state border, or at the corridor borders. The wind industry is active on the east and west coast as well as within the corridor. Our organization intends to align all segments of the US wind industry.
Challenges vary generally by region; however, there are many challenges that affect the entire industry across the United States. We have classified these challenges within three areas: workforce, technology (onshore and offshore next generation) and infrastructure (transmission, distribution and storage).
We have a committee dedicated to each area. Our committees identify real-world projects and programs that we can implement and manage to tackle the challenges. For example, safety is a big concern for our members. With this as a priority, our workforce committee has developed a general set of safety standards that may be widely applicable across the industry. Our members are currently reviewing these standards and we hope to distribute the final set in conjunction with our November 2010 conference.
