Kansas has potential for wind jobs

Oct 17 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Duane Schrag The Salina Journal, Kan.

Thousands of jobs will be created, and millions of dollars invested, as the United States starts to harness the enormous wind potential in this country.

The question is whether Kansas, whose wind potential is nearly the best in the country, wants to cash in on it.

"It's about who's going to get those jobs and who's going to meet this demand for energy," said Steve Gaw, of the Wind Coalition. "You all have so much potential to move forward if you want this to happen."

Gaw is with a group of experts with the American Wind Energy Association. The group has been on a statewide tour this week, promoting wind's potential. On Thursday, the group was at North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit.

About 60 people -- from Nebraska, western Kansas and central Kansas -- attended the working lunch. Many small cities and counties (Dickinson County, for instance) were represented.

Two large wind farms located within an hour of Salina went online in the past year. Vestas, one of the world's leading manufacturers of wind turbines, has opened an office in Salina.

By every indication, wind is one of the "next big things." Two years ago, President Bush proposed that by 2030 the U.S. get 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources. A study by the federal Department of Energy looked at whether that goal could be achieved, and if so, how.

For one thing, there would be a lot of new turbines. Last year, 3,200 new turbines were erected nationwide; the study estimates that between now and 2030, upward of 10,000 new turbines will need to go up every year.

"It's not just steel towers," said Elizabeth Salerno, of AWEA. "It's not just Fiberglass blades."

Turbines, each with thousands of pieces, have complex gearboxes and sophisticated electronics.

"We're going to need a very broad range of skills to make these components," Salerno said. "We are not turning out enough math and science majors today to meet these needs."

Some surrounding states -- particularly Colorado and Iowa -- have landed thousands of wind industry manufacturing jobs in just the past two years.

Before 2006, Colorado had no wind manufacturing facilities. Now it has six, which created more then 2,700 jobs and required an investment of more than $550 million.

"The game is still on," Salerno said. "You can go out there and get those companies to come to your state."

Richard Underbakke, president of Cloud County Community College, told the audience that the associate degree program is red hot. A couple of years ago, it had one student; now it has 67; and by spring, the college forecasts it will have 100.

Community colleges and technical schools around the state have expressed an interest in developing cooperative programs, Underbakke said.

The federal study that assessed the implications of having renewables provide 20 percent of the nation's electricity found:

nCapital costs would increase by only 2 percent.

nAmericans would spend $86 billion to $214 billion less on natural gas.

nCoal consumption would be reduced by 18 percent.

nConstruction of 80,000 megawatts of coal-fired power plants would be avoided.

"You are right here in what could be the heart of the key to achieving energy independence," Gaw said. "Quite frankly, I think the country needs you all."

Reporter Duane Schrag can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at dschrag@salina.com.