Wind Turbine Blade Comes to DC with Message

Today, as the president and congressional leaders meet at the White House on energy policy, GE Energy and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) delivered a petition from Americans across the country in the form of a 131-foot wind turbine blade.

The blade traveled more than 4,000 miles through 10 states gathering signatures from Americans who support a clean energy future. It arrived in Washington, D.C., last night and is parked in front of the main gate at Nationals Park for the 2010 Congressional Baseball Game.

“Manufactured in South Dakota, the wind turbine blade symbolizes how clean energy creates new U.S. manufacturing jobs in addition to providing clean power for America’s homes and factories,” said Vic Abate, vice president for renewables at GE Energy.

“It’s clear from the more than 6,000 signatures on this traveling petition that Americans are calling on the president and Congress to act now on clean energy policies that will increase energy security, reduce dependence on foreign oil and build a more sustainable clean energy future.”

More than 6,000 Americans across the country—including people from all walks of life: factory workers, managers, engineers, service and transportation workers, public officials and the general public—signed the blade, which carries the message: “I’m helping to build America’s energy future,” issuing a call to Congress: Create More American Jobs by Enacting Clean Energy Policies This Year.

Facts about the Wind Turbine Blade:

* The blade of a 1.5-MW wind turbine is nearly half a football field in length.

* Including the blade, the height of a 1.5-MW wind turbine is about the same as a 30-story building—more than 75 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

* One 1.5-MW wind turbine produces enough energy to power approximately 400 households.

* To generate the same amount of electricity as a single 1.5-MW wind turbine operating for 20 years would require burning 43,500 tons of coal or 138,000 barrels of oil and withdrawing 90 million gallons of water per year from a stream or river.

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide.

GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas—work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind power, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.

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