May 6 2010
GE’s wind blade tour covering multiple U.S. states for 28 days, in an effort to create awareness among Americans about clean energy future and thereby creating numerous manufacturing jobs throughout the U.S, has arrived at Iowa. The tour features a sophisticated technology wind turbine blade of GE standing 131 feet. The tour covers nine states traveling 2,436 miles.
The wind blade tour has arrived at Trinity Structural Towers, a company that supplies components for the wind turbines of GE. Iowa’s wind industry has created numerous jobs and has helped offset some of the jobs which were lost in 2007 owing to the closure of a Maytag plant near Newton. The Iowa State is the second largest generator of wind energy in the U.S. with 10% of the country’s overall installed wind capacity. Iowa has nine global manufacturing companies that support the wind industry.
A recent study conducted by Navigant Consulting indicates that a robust renewable electricity standard (RES) can help create around 275,000 additional jobs in the renewable electricity industry of the U.S. by the year 2025, including over 115,000 more jobs in the Midwest region.
The GE tour, which commenced in Aberdeen, South Dakota, will end in Dallas, Texas. The tour will be part of wind energy trade show Windpower 2010 of the American Wind Energy Association. The tour will make stops at Clean Air Fair in Columbus, Ohio; GE Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky; Molded Fiber Glass Companies in Gainesville, Texas; and Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky among others in the month May of 2010. During the tour, individuals who witness the blade can sign their names on the blade in support of clean energy future.