Looking back over the February wind energy news there’s been a lot going on in the sector. We summarise the main stories and put our spin on how the sector is shaping up in 2019.
So we’re at the end of the month already. Our February wind energy news round up includes the AWEA San Diego conference, a big push for offshore wind in California and former Iowa State Senator Jeff Danielson joins the AWEA.
AWEA San Diego Conference
First up in our February wind energy news round up we head to San Diego. You can read our full preview story here on the 27th and 28th February we will be exhibiting at the Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference. It’s a great opportunity for our industry to come together and discuss the challenges we face. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sectors across the USA creating jobs in every state in which wind has a presence. But, with such fast growth comes numerous issues faced at every level. From our perspective it’s all about safety, with the great work being done by the GWO we know the industry is well regulated and long may this continue. If you are attending the conference head over to booth 4 and say hi, we’d love to talk you through our full range of GWO training courses.
Former Iowa State Senator Jeff Danielson joins the AWEA
Great news to see that former Iowa State Senator Jeff Danielson has joined the AWEA. His remit will to lead policy advocacy efforts across Midwestern and Plains states. As a former navy serviceman, firefighter and State Senator Jeff served his community with distinction and we can’t wait to see the results of his efforts for wind energy. Mr Danielson said “I’ll be working for a wonderful organization dedicated to growing a homegrown American energy source that strengthens the economy, improves the health of communities and makes us safer as a nation.” We have a special connection to Iowa as it’s home to one of our training facilities, administered by the Iowa Lakes Community College.
We think the AWEA does an amazing job advocating for the wind energy sector and this kind of high profile appointment shows what a serious player they are in one of the USA’s fastest growing sectors.
Offshore Wind is the Way Forward in California
A new report “The California Offshore Wind Project: A Vision for Industry Growth,” commissioned by the American Jobs Project in partnership with the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University, Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, and BVG Associates. States that offshore wind could spur a new wave of innovation in the State. Given that California s home to some pretty big innovators it’s a bold claim but something that we whole heartedly welcome at STL USA. According to the report the potential of offshore wind would be enough to produce as much as 1,5 times the amount of electricity needed by the state. It’s also estimated the industry and supply chain could support as many as 17,500 jobs by 2045. One of the key aspects of wind energy is that it’s more cost effective to build turbines in the country they will be used in so the affects would be felt across the supply chain.
Stay tuned for our February newsletter and more insights from the world of wind energy.