What’s Up With Wind Energy
We talk a lot about Solar energy on this blog, but something we haven’t really covered is Wind, so we’re here to walk you through the basics like how it works and what it means for the future of renewable energy.
- The Basics
Wind power is the third-largest source of electricity generation capacity in the country, and it is widely considered the cleanest form of energy as of 2022. Wind energy and wind turbines account for 25% of energy which is produced in seven states currently, and more coming soon. In most cases, Wind turbines work by catching the wind’s energy with propeller-like blades which are mounted together to form a rotor. A combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin, and the turning rotor spins a generator causing the production of electricity. These wind turbines can even be made with an attachment to a utility power grid or made with a photovoltaic system!
- Employment Boom
According to American Clean Power, the Wind industry is the second-fastest-growing job industry in the country (Solar being the fastest) and employs 120,000 Americans across all 50 states as of 2020. In addition, because the sector is seeing continued growth, new education and training systems are being developed to assess the workforce and potential hiring needs to discover educational resources that would help close any gaps. These new education and training initiatives are needed to fill the rising demand for new workers to support the industry. Solar and Wind are spearheading the renewable energy job growth coming from the global clean energy industry as well with renewable energy sector employment in Europe increasing by 4.6%.
- The Future
At 122,000 megawatts, Wind is the largest renewable energy source in the United States, and with industry growth and $13.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Wind is poised to develop and innovate new technologies to collect critical data for environmental and wildlife protection. The Biden administration seeks to strengthen the domestic supply chain and create good-paying, union jobs for continued and steady growth. The DOE has also released an outline for regional and national strategies to accelerate and maximize U.S. offshore wind deployment and operation, which could make the U.S. a leader in the industry.
- Final Thoughts
Both Solar and Wind are vital to fighting the climate crisis and employing millions of people worldwide. California has the largest number of clean energy jobs, with Nevada and Vermont close behind. Both Solar and Wind combined are projected to add about 10,400 new jobs by 2029. Check out our other blog about why you should work in the Solar Industry, and for specific questions contact us at solarrecruiters@gmail.com.