Thursday, March 26, 2009

Texas News: Wind industry anticipates boom with many job openings

LubbockOnline is featuring an article about Wind Energy in the Panhandle, quoting our very own Ken Starcher:

The title of Wednesday's alternative-energy seminar was "What's in the Wind?" The answer seemed to be "jobs."

Most presentations focused on staffing an anticipated boom of wind farms, assuming credit markets get stronger and the Public Utilities Commission makes a final decision on which companies will build transmission lines.

"Wind is going to grow where there has only been cattle and cactus in the past," said Ken Starcher, director of West Texas A&M's Alternative Energy Institute. "In four years we're going to have wires strung through the Panhandle."

The focus is on the large demand from cities downstate served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid.

"They don't want any more coal plants there, but they want the lights to work," Starcher said. "If we don't do it with conventional plants, we'll need to use renewables, conservation or efficiency."

Click here to read the full article.

Local News: Dr. Nelson's Book On Sale

AEI's Dr. Vaughn Nelson's book, Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment is available for sale at CRCPress Online.

The book is selling for $107.96.

Book Summary:
Due to the mounting demand for energy and increasing population of the world, switching from nonrenewable fossil fuels to other energy sources is not an option—it is a necessity. Focusing on a cost-effective option for the generation of electricity, Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment covers all facets of wind energy and wind turbines.

The book begins by outlining the history of wind energy, before providing reasons to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. After examining the characteristics of wind, such as shear, power potential, and turbulence, it discusses the measurement and siting of individual wind turbines and wind farms. The text then presents the aerodynamics, operation, control, applications, and types of wind turbines. The author also describes the design of wind turbines and system performance for single wind turbines, water pumping, village systems, and wind farms. In addition, he explores the wind industry from its inception in the 1970s to today as well as the political and economic factors regarding the adoption of wind as an energy source.

Since energy cannot be created nor destroyed—only transformed to another form—we are not encountering an energy crisis. Rather, we face an energy dilemma in the use of finite energy resources and their effects on the environment, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels. Wind Energy explores one of the most economical solutions to alleviate our energy problems.