Meeting the people who live and work with wind power

Five months into my tenure at AWEA, I have a head full of facts about wind power.

I can tell you about jobs, electric bills savings and clean air benefits. I can explain the policy mechanisms and incentives that help grow wind energy, and which companies are investing in a clean energy future for America.

However, there’s one thing it’s tough to fully understand from my desk in Washington, D.C.- the human aspect of wind power.

What’s it like to host wind turbines on a farm or ranch? What does it mean for a community when a wind project comes to town? As young people decide to invest in a career, why do they choose to become wind technicians?

I’ve exchanged plenty of emails and phone calls with folks across the country on these questions, but in the end there’s no substitute for face to face interactions.

So as I write this, I’m cruising 38,000 feet in the air on my way to Colorado to find these answers out for myself. Over the next week, I’ll be meeting landowners with wind farms on their property, factory workers who build wind turbines and instructors and students at wind technician training schools.

I hope this experience gives me a deeper understanding of what wind power means for communities across America, and I’m excited to share my findings and the stories I gather.