Generating a sense of electricity like the thousands of wind turbines in the region, the WINDPOWER 2013 Conference & Exhibition officially went online yesterday in Chicago, a hub for the American wind energy industry.
New leadership for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) was inducted yesterday, followed Monday by a packed schedule of educational sessions and a dynamic exhibition covering the area of 11 football fields.
WINDPOWER 2013’s program is organized around the theme Solutions for Success—fitting for the event’s central location to American wind power and the industry’s current priorities. The Midwest is the most active region in America for wind energy development, and a manufacturing supply chain has sprung up where the action is. And the Windy City, given that moniker long before wind power ever came to town, is a case in point. At least 13 wind industry companies are headquartered there, according to the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center.
WINDPOWER 2013 also marks the start of a new industry year, with Gabriel Alonso, CEO of EDP Renewables North America, beginning his one-year term as Board Chair.
Yesterday’s schedule exemplified the event’s constant evolution and solutions theme. The day featured a full slate of Technical Training Courses—a brand-new set of extended sessions addressing the hands-on side of the industry, from effective operation-and-maintenance practices and wind resource assessment, to electrical safety for managers and an examination of wind’s environmental, economic and social impact. The courses were led by AWEA member companies and organizations specializing in the respective areas.
At day’s end, an opening reception on McCormick Place’s Lakeside Terrace allowed WINDPOWER participants to shift gears and socialize and network. Then the General Session, this morning, kicks off with Iowa Governor and wind energy visionary Terry Branstad (R); a welcome from Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (D); a broad view of today’s industry from new AWEA Board Chair Alonso; and a real-world glimpse of some of the “Faces of Wind,” a cross-section of the 80,000 Americans working in wind energy today.
Also at the Opening Session today, the industry will officially meet AWEA’s incoming CEO, Tom Kiernan, who starts in his new position May 28. Kiernan comes to AWEA from the National Parks Conservation Association, and was a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency under President George H.W. Bush’s administration. He offers business experience and a bipartisan approach to policy—an all-important skill in Washington, D.C., these days.
“I’m excited to be able to help kick off WINDPOWER,” said Kiernan . “I’ve heard so much about this great event, and I know it will be the perfect way to begin immersing myself in the industry. Most importantly, I look forward to meeting the people who represent American wind power and hearing their stories—the people who never stop advancing the clean, affordable, homegrown energy that has become such an economic engine for this region, and opportunity for our nation.”
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Press release, May 6, 2013; Image: AWEA