Last year was another record-breaking year for US wind power additions, and a growing percentage of wind turbine equipment used here is being sourced domestically, according to a new report released earlier this month by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
The “2009 Wind Technologies Market Report,” authored primarily by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, reveals that: (more…)
In light of the BP oil spill disaster now occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, I can’t say that I’m surprised. But, even so, it’s still encouraging to hear that in a recent survey by Applied Materials, three-quarters of Americans feel that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are the country’s top energy priorities.
The new survey, conducted by phone during the period June 10-13, 2010, polled a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults, and in addition to identifying widespread support for renewable energy initiatives, the study also revealed a growing willingness among consumers to help pay for alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources. (more…)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 includes several provisions to spur development of wind and other renewable energy industries, but unfortunately, wind turbine manufacturing in the U.S. still lags. In fact, both announcements and production activity have now fallen behind 2008 levels.
Put another way: last year was a mixed bag for the U.S. wind industry.
For a summary of 2009 wind industry highlights, check out the lengthy list recently released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). On the positive side of the ledger, AWEA stresses that last year the U.S. wind industry continued to: (more…)
The February cover story for the Dallas edition of Smart Business is an interview with T. Boone Pickens. The timing couldn’t be better for this iconic oil businessman-turned-wind-energy-advocate because over the past week, U.S. wind energy has been making big headlines.
