Jul 8, 2008

Power From the Wind

With gasoline prices putting a stranglehold on the American consumer, many of us are looking for alternatives to oil. One that is gaining favor is wind power. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States is the fastest-growing wind power market in the world. Last year alone, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts of power, expanding the nation's total generating capacity by 45 percent. With increasing demands for alternative and renewable energy sources and the imminent arrival of plug-in hybrid vehicles, companies in the field are also growing to meet the challenge.

The largest producer of wind turbine gear drives in the world, Siemens has announced it will be investing more than $20 million to develop a second plant for the assembly and testing of mechanical gear drives in Elgin, Ill. The expansion of the current facility will increase production, enabling the company to deliver even more wind power equipment as demand ramps up. The new plant will create approximately 350 new jobs over the next three to four years.

Despite the presence of the Windy City in the state, Illinois currently ranks only 16th among U.S. states for overall wind energy potential. California leads the nation in wind power development, with Texas coming in a close second. Other states with sizeable wind plants include Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.