In 2007, wind energy increased more than any other power generating technology in the EU. The growth in installed wind capacity has been matched by an increase in related jobs. According to ‘Wind at Work’, t he sector employed 154,000 people in 2007 – 108,600 in direct jobs and the rest indirectly.

In terms of job profiles, the report shows that wind turbine manufacturers are the main employers, with 37% of all direct jobs, followed by component manufacturers and project developers. Where the Member States are concerned, currently 75% of all direct wind energy jobs are to be found in the three ‘pioneer’ countries of Denmark, Germany and Spain, but other countries, such as France, the UK and Italy are now beginning to catch up.

“‘Wind at Work’ reveals the vast potential of the wind energy industry as a source of employment that can bring real long-term benefits to European economies” said Christian Kjaer, EWEA Chief Executive.

Journalists who came to the press launch, held at Pauwels International in Belgium – a company that specialises in making transformers for wind turbines – were able to ask questions of Kjaer and Francis Robberechts,Vice President of CG Power EMEA. They were then taken on an exclusive tour of the Pauwels factory to see an example of direct jobs in the sector.

Robberechts spoke of the importance of the wind energy sector for his company. “Wind energy is an important contributor to Pauwels’ workforce – 20-30% of the 1,000 employees at our Belgium site are engaged on long-term wind energy projects”, he said.

Wind energy can give a huge boost to economic welfare, offering greater energy independence, lower energy costs, reduced fuel price risks, improved competitiveness, technology exports and new jobs. ‘Wind at Work’ focuses on just one of the many economic benefits of the industry, revealing the full extent of the effect that supporting and developing wind energy has on employment in the EU.

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Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission) Member Sudikaili (SuedeenG.Kelly), said: “What we need is an interstate transmission high-speed access systems.”

Electricity used by the U.S. today, only 1% comes from wind turbines, but many experts are beginning to assume that this figure can reach 20%.

This requires a large number of long-distance transmission of energy, from the few people windy central plains region, transported to the densely populated coastal regions. Builders are also thinking a large-scale solar energy station in the desert will have the same transmission problems.

The grid limitations are blocking such projects. Cover boa Veloso (GabrielAlonso) is a coastal wind energy (HorizonWindEnergy) Chief Development Director, that is, the company operates Maple Ridge. He said that in Wyoming, a region, a wind turbine will be better than New York or Texas, these areas produced 50 percent more electricity.

“Wind up no place to set up wind turbines because there is no way to electricity and from there transported to the crowded places,” said asolo. The fundamental problem is that many transmission lines, as well as the connection between the scale are too small, few energy companies are willing to go out of their middle years of Road. Long-distance transmission, this difficulty is very terrible, even hundreds of miles of short-distance transmission, and sometimes it appears hampered. Maple Ridge Farm in New York lowville city (Lowville) near the power lines are often very crowded, so the company can only choose to shut down wind turbines – or continue to pay for imported electricity transmission lines inside.

Politicians in Washington were well aware of the limitations of power, but to solve this problem but few as. They do not want the privilege of overriding all state governments, because traditionally in various states of their own state power grid have management authority, and do not have any incentives to improve the status quo, so that states benefit from the neighbors.

Texas oilman skin Higgins (T. BoonePickens), is building the world’s largest wind farm, he plans to use their right of passage of water pipes are being developed (for the 250 from the Panhandle to the Dalls Market miles of transmission) to solve the grid problem. He has proved in Congress, Texas’s policy is very beneficial to the project, while others wind energy development is still very difficult to compare with him. Piegan Slovakia’s parliament said: “If you want to promote at the national level, then a lot of long distance transmission lines, but also provide for different parts of the public cause, it must come out Caixing Congress.”

Wind heat has been diminished in recent years, the climax of many a bold vision of an endless stream, such as the New York City Mayor Michael (MichaelBloomberg) “New York filled with wind turbines” program. Some companies even again with this sort of idea: Using compressed air or a rotating flywheel to store wind energy. But experts said that if the power problem is not resolved, large-scale and effective use of wind energy is likely to remain only a dream.

Grid structure is now into a separatist form, around 200,000-mile network of 500 business owners. Updated often involve large-scale transfer a large number of companies, state governments and numerous permits. Each time power grid capacity increase is caused by each speaker opposed. According to the Federal data show that the obstacles meant that the growth rate of electricity transmission lines four times the rate of increase.

2005 energy law was passed, Congress gives the Department of Energy, the state government against the practice, the power to intervene to allow transmission.

Department of Energy designated two areas, one in the central Atlantic states, one in the southwest, as a national pilot area; the results of 14 U.S. senators signed a letter, saying that too strong a Department of Energy.

Leader in the Department of Energy said, regardless of local issues more than reasonable, they still have to continue. Responsible for power delivery and energy reliability, said Assistant Secretary-General Kevin Kele (Kevin M. Kolevar) said: “The modernization of power facilities is a pressing national issue, is our common problem.”

Unlike other solutions to U.S. energy problems, grid infrastructure improvements do not require new technology. Department of Energy has a plan for 20% of the country to use electricity provided by wind turbines, the program need to build across the United States, the equivalent of 2100 miles-long high-voltage backbone network, the U.S. energy companies (American Electric Power) has been in the implementation of this project .

The high cost of the project is expected to more than 60 billion U.S. dollars, but the theory, these costs can be spread for many years and tens of thousands of power among consumers. However, in most states, based on the provisions of the current public service work, the transmission investment results of the assessment does not encourage more interstate cooperation projects. A lower electric rates in some states, elected officials are concerned that this new transmission line, it will only lower their own state out of power transmission, instead letting the state’s electricity rate increases. In the absence of a clear plan on how to recover the costs and profits, the federal government has not shown leadership on this, there is no company or institution, in order to build such a transmission backbone network, said the political battle playing out the necessary

“Texas and California recently made in building a wind power transmission lines, some progress, but the whole country, the problem seems even more severe. New York State is now about 1,500 megawatts of wind generating capacity. One million watts is the instantaneous energy units of measurement. A large Wal-Mart needs about one megawatt of energy. New York State plans to add 8,000 megawatts of generating capacity. But those wind turbines must be built in remote, multi-sealed areas, from electrical point of view, it is necessary to stay away from a conventional route, but also do not know if able to build enough transmission capacity. Over the past two decades, in addition to two underwater to Long Island (Long Island) connection to the building of New York has not had any major new transmission lines.

Have a lot of ambitious renewable energy targets states like California, are now forced to resolve this problem, because if no new wires, these goals is just fantasy.

New Mexico, former President Bill Clinton’s energy consultant? Richard (Bill Richardson) have pointed out that the separation scattered throughout the United States were insufficient to develop renewable energy potential. Wind energy advocates said the only two wind energy rich states, namely, North Dakota and South Dakota, in principle, as far as can rely on wind energy, half of the electricity output of the United States. However, if taking into account the distribution of the national power grid design, then you want to use these energies, only the half the U.S. population moved to the two states to go.

“We still use the transmission network of the Third World,” Richard repeated many times with his comments. “As the federal government did not invest and not to establish a good management system, but nothing to sit and watch his change, only know that sinking oil, power grid has not modernized, especially wind energy transportation network.”

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American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has revealed that the global wind energy in the 28.8% surge in 2008. In 2008 the United States built a 8.35GW of wind power capacity, for 50% of the original capacity, total capacity now has reached 25.1GW, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s wind power generation, and have gone beyond Germany’s 23.9GW, become the world’s wind power generation The first strong.

American Wind Energy Association Executive Director, said Schweitzer homes in recent years, a growing emphasis on development of wind energy, wind power is expected in 2009 the United States will not only provide more American families new energy, but will also create more employment opportunities, to become the United States the new economic growth point.

Practice has proved that the charm of wind power is obvious, its energy cost is zero, pollution emissions, is also zero, and adequate supply. Arizona State University geography professor Maikepasi Gai Le Di said: “Great Plains region, wind energy is sufficient, if fully developed, only North Dakota, Texas and Kansas, the three states of the potential wind power on the sufficient to meet demand for electricity throughout the United States. ”

Increased investment in wind power

As the world the process of seeking alternative sources of energy continues to accelerate, and now the world’s least 1000 large-scale energy companies and investment firms optimistic about the bright future of wind power, the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers are keen to invest in companies in which the United States to invest in wind power generation is most active.

U.S. General Electric Company recently announced that the next 10 years of investment in wind energy utilization will reach 5 billion U.S. dollars, while so far in this area, the company has invested 6.5 billion U.S. dollars. 4 years ago, General Electric from Enron’s bankruptcy estate acquired its fan manufacturing business. Thus, from the fans this year, GM expects sales and maintenance revenues will reach 20 billion U.S. dollars.

California, the U.S. wind energy the most developed areas. Initially, the state government adopted a tax policy to encourage enterprises to establish a wind farm, the development of wind energy. After many years of promotion and development of wind farms in California offers a wide range of employment opportunities and higher taxes. Tehachapi is a small town in California, is one of California’s three major wind farm. Today, the U.S. government for the development of wind power reached the capital invested billions of dollars a year. Tehachapi town is like in the past the west, reproduced in 1849 in California’s “gold rush fever.”

FPL Group’s annual revenue as high as 90 billion U.S. dollars, a subsidiary of FPL Energy’s electricity production sector (FPLEnergy) is currently the United States the number one wind power farm. FPL Energy in the United States a total of 43 family traditions electric field, are found in 15 states, accounting for the nation’s wind power capacity of around 40%. Sino-US energy companies began last fall to build a wind farm in Iowa, upon completion, will become one of the world’s largest wind farm. For the past few years, investment in wind energy projects in more than 20 billion dollars.

2020, wind power will account for 5% of the total U.S. electricity generation, wind energy will also become very important in American daily life of a renewable energy. According to plan, by 2015, Colorado’s public utilities (2396.066, -28.88, -1.19%) 10% of electricity must come from renewable energy sources, wind energy is one of them. The eastern part of the current Colorado schools, cities and towns and some urban areas are using the local wind energy resources.

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