Gust of energy needed to procure wind power jobs
Jun 26 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Michelle Koetters The
Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.
Action is necessary to advance the future of wind power and the jobs it
promises.
A lot of studies show the potential for the number of "green" jobs, but a
big effort is required to actually get those employment opportunities,
George Sterzinger, executive director of the Renewable Energy Policy Project
in Washington, D.C., said Wednesday during his opening address about wind
energy and job creation in Illinois.
"If you don't do anything, the jobs won't show up," Sterzinger said.
Illinois State University is the host of the second annual Advancing Wind
Power in Illinois conference at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. The
two-day event continues today with more sessions on policy recommendations,
potential wind energy concerns and wind farm development.
The conference brings together nationally recognized experts and local
policymakers to discuss ways to encourage the growth of wind energy in
Illinois, said Jeffrey Wood, dean of ISU's College of Applied Science and
Technology.
More employment in wind energy could come in the form of manufacturing jobs,
Sterzinger said. As demand for wind energy grows, so will the demand for the
parts to create the wind turbines; however, no one is really thinking about
where to get those components, he said.
The Renewable Energy Policy Project looked outside the wind energy industry
to determine what other U.S. firms could make the components necessary to
assemble wind turbines.
"We look at these studies as something that builds appetites," Sterzinger
said.
To move forward from that analysis, more information is needed, such as
state standards and specifications required for work and the amount of
investment available to help companies and increase confidence for a turbine
assembler, he said.
The federal government also needs to add some assistance. For example, the
government should provide financial help and a way to link manufacturers
with universities and laboratories to work out problems, Sterzinger said.
Sterzinger even wants people in the industrial core of such cities as
Chicago and Cleveland to get involved in the wind energy development that's
prevalent in rural America. Even though turbines won't be found in those
cities, the parts could be built there, he said.
To achieve those goals, individuals involved in wind energy need to increase
awareness about the field, he said.
"If you want wind to go forward, you need friends," Sterzinger said. "It's
not there yet, but it's encouraging." |