As Boeing leaves Air Capital, wind energy could provide lift

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

WASHINGTON — Wichita, Kan., prides itself as the Air Capital for the multitude of aircraft manufacturers that call it home, but after this week, it will have to contemplate a future without Boeing, the signature company of the city's signature industry.

Wichita's situation rings familiar for cities across the country that have lost thousands of high-paying jobs amid a recession that's changed the way they define themselves to the world.

Charlotte, N.C., was known as "Banktown" for its dominant business until the 2008 financial crisis threw that status into jeopardy. Fremont, Calif., assembled cars for Toyota and General Motors for a quarter century, but when a large auto plant closed amid industry turmoil in 2010, it created a ripple effect across the regional and state economy.

"Most of the urban areas of the country are still struggling. We are," said Tony Plath, a finance professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "There's no place to hide from this economy."

Many Wichita leaders would like another aircraft manufacturer to fill the void, given the suitability of the 2-million-square-foot Boeing site and the skillset of its 2,100 workers.

"We have other companies with needs for a workforce similar to what Boeing has," said Gary Plummer, the president of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce. "There's a good possibility that talent could be absorbed by other companies."

But another potential answer for Wichita is energy, a solution that both Charlotte and Fremont have embraced. And Kansas has one form of energy in abundance: wind.

"It's in the broader national interest to address energy issues, and to create employment," said Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who advises policymakers on trade and labor issues. "The ripples of this are quite significant."

The wind energy industry has grown in Kansas in recent years, driven by a desire for energy independence and environmental protection. It has the support of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

"We, as a nation, have been waiting for the moment when a true balance between environmental concerns, economic benefits and energy needs is in view," Brownback wrote in an op-ed in the Wichita Eagle in September. "I believe that moment has arrived."

In October, BP revealed plans to build the state's largest wind farm, an $800 million, 419-megawatt operation that will stretch across four counties.

Wind turbines are made of the same composite materials as aircraft, and the skillsets needed to manufacture them are very similar. "That's one of the targeted industries for south-central Kansas," Plummer said.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/01/06/135060/as-boeing-leaves-air-capital-wind.html

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[Gary and Alla 3,694]

This is the straw they grasp for as Obama destroys the economy and thousands more are thrown out of good paying jobs? I suppose they can all go over to Walmart and get one of the new jobs being created under this administrations "recovery"...at least until next month.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This is the straw they grasp for as Obama destroys the economy and thousands more are thrown out of good paying jobs?

This is a result of cuts in federal spending. Defense spending in particular. When Washington takes up a trillion dollars out of projected defense spending over the next decade, do you really think that won't have any impact on businesses that supply the military? Look for more of these stories as the budget trimming continues. You cut public spending and people lose their jobs. That's the way it works. Ain't pretty when factories shut down because companies consolidate operations but it'll happen all the same. Vote for RP, have him cut a trillion dollars in federal spending in the first year as he proposes and watch hundreds of thousands if not millions of people lose their jobs.

[Pooky 3,828]

This is a result of cuts in federal spending. Defense spending in particular. When Washington takes up a trillion dollars out of projected defense spending over the next decade, do you really think that won't have any impact on businesses that supply the military? Look for more of these stories as the budget trimming continues. You cut public spending and people lose their jobs. That's the way it works. Ain't pretty when factories shut down because companies consolidate operations but it'll happen all the same. Vote for RP, have him cut a trillion dollars in federal spending in the first year as he proposes and watch hundreds of thousands if not millions of people lose their jobs.

And the defence spending cuts were also triggered in part by the planned failure of the Supercommittee to do anything. Politics in play on both sides and ordinary working Americans, as usual, are the ones to pay the political piper.

Still, the cost of some of the programs, notably the F-35 Thunderpig, does somewhat play into the equation. It's chronically overpriced, under-performing and plain ordinary at everything it does, because it's supposed to do everything. US DoD acquisition policy needs a serious looking at to determine where the contractors are reaming the US government (unless you're a conspiracy theorist who believes that all that excess is going toward so-called "black" projects).

Oh, and Boeing's defence contracts have been relatively unaffected (see the KC-46 Frankentanker acquisition) recently. It's Lockheed-Martin that is staring down the barrel of a gun with funding for their mainstay projects, the F-22 (gone) and the F-35 (????) taking the brunt of the hit when it comes to aircraft acquisition).