Wind jobs outstrip coal mining

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Here's a talking point in the green jobs debate: The wind industry now employs more people than coal mining in the United States.

Wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Wind Energy Association. In contrast, the coal industry mining employs about 81,000 workers. (Those figures are from a 2007 U.S. Department of Energy report but coal employment has remained steady in recent years though it's down by nearly 50% since 1986.) Wind industry employment includes 13,000 manufacturing jobs concentrated in regions of the country hard hit by the deindustrialization of the past two decades.

The big spike in wind jobs was a result of a record-setting 50% increase in installed wind capacity, with 8,358 megawatts coming online in 2008 (enough to power some 2 million homes). That's a third of the nation's total 25,170 megawatts of wind power generation. Wind farms generating more than 4,000 megawatts of electricity were completed in the last three months of 2008 alone.

Another sign that wind power is no longer a niche green energy play: Wind accounted for 42% of all new electricity generation installed last year in the U.S. Power, literally, is shifting from the east to west, to the wind belt of the Midwest, west Texas and the West Coast. Texas continues to lead the country, with 7,116 megawatts of wind capacity but Iowa in 2008 overtook California for the No. 2 spot, with 2,790 megawatts of wind generation. Other new wind powers include Oregon, Minnesota, Colorado and Washington state.

But last year's record is unlikely to be repeated in 2009 as the global credit crisis delays or scuttles new projects because developers are unable to secure financing for wind farms. Layoffs have already hit turbine makers like Clipper Windpower and Gamesa as well as companies that produce turbine towers, blades and other components.

The Obama administration's $825 billion stimulus package includes a three-year extension of a key production tax credit that has spurred the wind industry's expansion. But given the dearth of investors with tax liabilities willing to invest in wind projects in exchange for the credits, the stimulus is unlikely to be stimulating to the industry unless the tax credit is made refundable to developers.

The U.S. wind industry is dominated by European wind developers and turbine makers – General Electric (GE) and Clipper are the only two domestic turbine manufacturers – and those companies' fortunes rise and fall with the global economy. As the U.S. market has boomed, European companies have been moving production close to their customers – the percentage of domestically manufactured wind turbine components rose from 30% to 50% between 2005 and 2008, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2...-coal-industry/

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Energy diversity is the answer. Ignorance of science is not........

[alienlovechild 75]

Wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Wind Energy Association. In contrast, the coal industry mining employs about 81,000 workers.

Shows how inefficient wind power is vs. coal. The power output of wind is tiny compared to coal. You could write the same article and insert toy pinwheels and get even better figures. The baselines are so low almost any increase would look like a boom.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

I think the op wants to give us all a "wind job"

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Wind Energy Association. In contrast, the coal industry mining employs about 81,000 workers.

Shows how inefficient wind power is vs. coal. The power output of wind is tiny compared to coal. You could write the same article and insert toy pinwheels and get even better figures. The baselines are so low almost any increase would look like a boom.

Wind turbines and windmills can be set up anywhere there is wind . . . coal mines require access to coal - not in nearly as plentiful or accessible supply as wind.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Wind Energy Association. In contrast, the coal industry mining employs about 81,000 workers.

Shows how inefficient wind power is vs. coal. The power output of wind is tiny compared to coal. You could write the same article and insert toy pinwheels and get even better figures. The baselines are so low almost any increase would look like a boom.

Wind turbines and windmills can be set up anywhere there is wind . . . coal mines require access to coal - not in nearly as plentiful or accessible supply as wind.

So on non windy days we have to live in the dark?

[Ban Hammer 13,369]

Wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Wind Energy Association. In contrast, the coal industry mining employs about 81,000 workers.

Shows how inefficient wind power is vs. coal. The power output of wind is tiny compared to coal. You could write the same article and insert toy pinwheels and get even better figures. The baselines are so low almost any increase would look like a boom.

Wind turbines and windmills can be set up anywhere there is wind . . . coal mines require access to coal - not in nearly as plentiful or accessible supply as wind.

The United States has enormous coal "resources" and "recoverable reserves." { Map Terms Defined } The most reliable information about coal is published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The most recent figures available from the EIA, show that America's estimated recoverable reserves of coal --

-Stand at 275 billion tons, an amount that is greater than any other nation in the world. { Chart }

-Are capable of meeting domestic demand for more than 250 years at current rates of consumption.

link

[mawilson 2,133]

The wind industry now employs more people than coal mining in the United States.

That's terrible, considering that coal generates over half of the electricity in the US, while

wind power accounts for less than one percent.

All those people employed by the "wind industry" could be doing something more productive

for the economy.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Wow because working in coal mines are soooo much safer then erecting and operating a turbine....lol

Edited August 30, 2009 by lancer1655

[Krikit 1,164]

So on non windy days we have to live in the dark?

Don't you already?

This reminds me of the London smog disaster of 1952 due to coal fires. An estimated 12,000 people died due to asphyxiation, etc. Link

I wonder how many people have died from wind turbine disasters?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

And lets not forget about underground coal fires as well. Centralia PA anyone? OOOOOOoh I want to play silent hill now!

....and pollution from the mines themselves.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

So on non windy days we have to live in the dark?

Don't you already?

This reminds me of the London smog disaster of 1952 due to coal fires. An estimated 12,000 people died due to asphyxiation, etc. Link

I wonder how many people have died from wind turbine disasters?

But all those birds! The poor birds!

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

So on non windy days we have to live in the dark?

Don't you already?

This reminds me of the London smog disaster of 1952 due to coal fires. An estimated 12,000 people died due to asphyxiation, etc. Link

I wonder how many people have died from wind turbine disasters?

The darkness I live in is far brighter than the air that resides between your ears.

1952? #######? Point made by above comment

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

So on non windy days we have to live in the dark?

Don't you already?

This reminds me of the London smog disaster of 1952 due to coal fires. An estimated 12,000 people died due to asphyxiation, etc. Link

I wonder how many people have died from wind turbine disasters?

But all those birds! The poor birds!

** the birds! there surely is nothing more beautiful than waking up to view thousands of wind turbines on the horizon.

[Krikit 1,164]

The darkness I live in is far brighter than the air that resides between your ears.

1952? #######? Point made by above comment

Sorry, Rogue. It was too tempting.