Electical Contractor

Already one of the nation’s wind power leaders, Iowa has taken another step to harness its vast renewable resource.

As the renewable power revolution carries on, wind power continues to lead the way. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the trade association for the U.S. wind energy industry, 2011 was a year of many milestones, and 2012 promises more of the same.

All the policies, rhetoric and tax incentives may be finally starting to pay off. New statistics reveal that wind power and other renewables are showing sustained and consistent growth, a sign that they may have reached a new stage of maturity in the American energy market.

The saga of Massachusetts’ Cape Wind Project has progressed slowly and painfully. Proponents will take it. After a decade of bureaucratic and legal wrangling, the embattled project has crossed some major thresholds. In October, U.S.

While offshore wind has long been delayed due to opposition, proponents are positive and committed to a future powered by turbines, just out of sight, up and down the coast.

In August, the new Greenway Self Park garage in downtown Chicago was dedicated. It uses the powerful winds coming off Lake Michigan, other green elements and stunning architecture to demonstrate what practicality and sustainability are all about.

In late July, the renewable-energy developer Terra-Gen Power broke ground on what it hopes to be the world’s largest wind-generation project. It is located in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles.

The energy needs of the world could potentially be met by converting wind energy to electricity by means of wind turbines. While offshore wind power resources are abundant, wind turbines are currently unable to provide steady power due to natural fluctuations in wind direction and strength.

President Barack Obama should be pleased to hear the news: Despite the criticism on many fronts about the federal government’s historic intervention in the nation’s economy, at least some of that investment appears to be paying off in dividends.