Letter from the Community Leader:

Interest in and use of wind power has been surging, and there’s good reason for it. Wind power is a clean, domestic fuel source that is convenient, cost-effective, and sustainable, and contributes positively to the U.S. economy. Yet, widespread use of wind power is still new and presents challenges as well as benefits.

As the popularity of wind power continues to grow, energy professionals are eager for information on where, when, and how much it’s being used; what’s happening in offshore wind; the level of public acceptance and trends in community demand; current, pending, and anticipated legislation and regulations impacting the industry; and innovations to look forward to. “What’s Blowing in US Wind Power” is a special Hot Topic section from Energy Central featuring insights about all these subjects and many more.    

Here are some highlights:

• The cost of wind turbine failure can be very costly. “It isn’t unusual for the total repair bill for a single failed gearbox to be in excess of $200,000”. Understanding the causes and timing of turbine issues can help prevent a failure before they occur.  Learn how you can leverage IIOT, 4G/LTE and 5G technologies for your operations, predict failures and attend to them before they occur.
• Find out how drones can provide a practical solution for inspection of wind turbines. Learn how they can reduce downtime and help operators avoid hazardous man-hours. Also, read how they can help to minimize costs for maintenance, inspections and repairs.
• Explore the recent growth of the US onshore wind-power fleet that is under development, the latest turbines currently being deployed, a few sample projects, and the next generation of on-shore turbines.
• Hop in your DeLorean, go back to the past and then to the future of US Wind Power.  Learn how states like Texas, Oklahoma, California, and Kansas are leading the way into wind Energy.
• Venture offshore. Read insights shared from Tom Harris, SNR associate at BloombergNEF, into the financial, supply chain and other considerations applicable to the opening to the US offshore wind marketplace.
• Read Energy Central’s exclusive interview with Russel Gold and learn about his new book “Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy”. 

Find more articles shared with Energy Central for this special issue by following this link.

We hope you benefit from this special section. As always, be sure to Like and comment on articles you find particularly interesting. Then, contribute your own article on Energy Central about how you’re working with wind power! Happy reading.