by AF0416a3 — April 20, 2009—Approximately 85,000 persons are employed in the wind industry today a 70% increase from 50,000 a year ago and hold jobs in areas as varied as turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation of wind turbines, wind turbine operations and maintenance, legal and marketing services, and more. That’s according to the latest annual wind energy industry rankings report from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
The report also shows that new wind turbine and component manufacturing facilities were opened, expanded or announced in 24 states in 2008. The new listings, based on 2008 year-end numbers, show Texas leading in wind capacity and largest wind farms installed, Minnesota and Iowa both generating more than 7 percent of their electricity from wind, and Indiana as the state with the fastest growth in wind on a percentage basis.
Ten new manufacturing facilities came online, 17 were expanded, and 30 were announced in 2008, according to AWEA estimates. These investments and announcements span 24 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin, South Carolina, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Indiana, Montana, Texas, Minnesota, Idaho, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Massachusetts.
The full annual rankings report is available on the AWEA Web site. Also available, he new annual Outlook brochure; And a state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects
