Hold on to your hat. It’s getting breezy out there.
Seems everywhere you go on the Internet, they’re remembering a great year for wind in 2008 and predicting a decent one in 2009. What? In this economy? Yes.
Wind energy grew by more than 8,300 megawatts in the U.S. in 2008, the most ever, the American Wind Energy Association said recently. That’s enough to power more than 2 million homes. The wind industry also is gaining on the coal industry when it comes to the number of jobs (80,000+), according to a fact-checker at the Christian Science Monitor.
AWEA says 2009 won’t be as rosy, but the group predicts this year holds promise, with a new president who’s pushing an economic stimulus package, national renewable energy standards and caps on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.
State policies have helped increase wind capacity in the U.S. and proven the sector has real job power. Currently, more than 25 states have RPSes, or renewable portfolio standards requiring utilities to get a certain percentage of their power from renewables like wind and solar. Coal is the current workhorse on the U.S. electrical grid.
Obama has pledged to double the amount of renewable energy production from 7 to 14 percent. Seems pretty ambitious, but industry experts say it can be done.
So when you’re planning your calendar this year, save some dates for the numerous green job conferences being held around the country. And bring your resume, if you’re so inclined.
1 comment
We need to do everything in our power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.We have so much available to use such as wind and solar as well as technologies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. There could be no better investment in than to invest in energy independence. Create clean cheap energy,create millions of BADLY needed new green jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.The high cost of fuel this past year did serious damage to our society and economy. Record numbers of jobs and homes have been lost due to the direct impact on our economy.Oil is finite.We are using it globally at the rate of 2 X faster than new oil is being discovered. Added to the strain on our supplies foreign countries are bursting in populations and becoming modern.China and India alone are expected to add another 3 million vehicles to their highways in the next 2 decades. I just read a fantastic book called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now by Jeff Wilson.Great Book!
http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
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