Wind and jobs continue growing in the Midwest
From a post on the blog of the American Wind Energy Association:
What’s a wind industry supply chain? To find out, you’ll have to go to Appleton Wisconsin March 31. And say hello to Gov. Jim Doyle while you are there.
Manufacturing related to the wind industry–that’s the supply chain– has become a bright spot in the middle of the recession-darkened economy. Over 8,000 components and parts are used in the construction of utility-scale wind turbines, and the wind industry created an estimated 35,000 jobs in 2008. To keep the momentum going, AWEA sponsored a supply-chain workshop in Cleveland back in January and 800 company representatives showed up to learn how they could get into the business.
Now AWEA is joining with several groups in Wisconsin to present a similar supply chain seminar at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. Gov. Doyle, who will be speaking at the seminar, has long been a supporter of wind and other renewables, and Wisconsin is seen as a key state in wind component manufacturing potential.
