Clean Wisconsin: The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind
Monday, February 9, 2009
Madison, WI - The wind in Wisconsin may be the key to thousands of new jobs as the state becomes a Mecca for producing the equipment that turns its breezes and waste into energy.
Wisconsin doesn't sit on top of any great reserves of oil, natural gas or coal -- but in the shifting energy economy, that could be a blessing. Experts say the movement toward renewable energy creates jobs producing the equipment that harvests energy from wind and waste, and Wisconsin is in a good position to see a boost in green jobs.
Clean Wisconsin staff scientist Peter Taglia points out that Wisconsin already leads the nation in anaerobic digesters, which turn waste into gas.
"Any change in our energy system away from fossil fuels is going to have a much higher multiplier effect in our economy."
Taglia says Wisconsin is in a great position to benefit from wind generation, too.
"We still have an excellent wind regime and we're also closer to transmission lines -- that's an important factor for trying to stimulate our local wind industry."
Investing in Wisconsin's wind generation resources would be a wise approach for the future, as well as wise use of any federal stimulus package money, Taglia contends.
"You don't want to build bridges to nowhere. You want to build bridges to a cleaner and more sustainable society."
Taglia says Wisconsin already has a highly developed manufacturing base that produces the heavy equipment needed to turn wind and waste into electricity. For example, the state is home to Johnson Controls and other companies that manufacture electronics used to increase energy efficiency.
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