ENGIE US Wind is working to inform landowners, energy buyers and the public on the many benefits of wind energy. This is the first of a series of blog posts detailing how wind energy helps the environment, saves money and boosts local economies.
Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy resources in the US. In 2018, it powered 30 million American homes, supported more than 100,000 jobs and generated more than $1 billion in tax and other revenue for states and communities that host wind farms.
Here are the top five reasons why investments in wind energy will create a better and more sustainable future for America.
1. Wind energy is sustainable.
Wind energy in an infinitely renewable resource that provides reliable energy while making our environment cleaner and safer. Wind energy decreases our dependence on fossil fuels and significantly decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Wind energy offset 201 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 alone.
2. Wind energy creates jobs.
Wind turbine technician is the second-fastest growing job in the US, second only to another sustainable industry job — solar panel installer. Every year, the wind power industry hires thousands of engineers, manufacturers, construction workers, and others. Many of these jobs are filled by military veterans; the industry hires military veterans at a rate that’s 67 percent higher than the national average.
3. Wind energy supports landowners and agriculture.
Wind energy provides an economic jolt to rural communities and individual landowners. The industry pays over $1 billion to state and local governments and individual landowners every year. Landowners who install wind turbines on their land significantly increase the land’s financial returns, while allowing them to continue to use the land for agricultural and other uses. And they do this while providing clean and sustainable energy to their communities and beyond.
4. Fortune 500 companies and universities are increasingly seeking wind energy
Many of the United States’ largest and most forward-looking companies are buying low-cost and sustainable wind energy at record rates. In 2017, purchases of wind energy by non-utility organizations — corporations and universities, among others — exceeded 11,300 megawatts. That’s more than the energy generated by all the wind farms in Iowa, the second-largest wind-producing state in the US.
Corporations buy wind energy because the price is low and stable. It protects them against spikes in prices of traditional energy. They also buy the energy because consumers love companies who use wind energy: one recent poll indicated that more than half of Americans say they are more likely to buy goods and services from companies that have committed to using 100 percent clean and renewable energy.
5. Wind power is cost-effective.
Prices in the fossil fuel energy market are notoriously volatile, and expensive. The cost of wind energy, meanwhile, has fallen more than two-thirds since 2009 and wind is now the least expensive source for new electricity generation. Wind energy costs between 2 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour and is sold at prices that are fixed in long-term contracts. The price is low and customers know their wind energy costs will remain low for years and years.
ENGIE US Wind is proud to support local landowners, communities, and corporations as we expand our sustainable energy offerings and continue to promote wind as a renewable energy resource. In September of 2018, we broke ground on the Solomon Forks Wind Project in Kansas with a total capital investment of approximately $334 million, generating significant benefits to the region. Companies that will use this clean wind energy include T-Mobile US, Inc. and Target Corp. This project is scheduled to come online in early summer 2019. Learn more about this project here.
If you’re interested in exploring more of ENGIE US Wind projects, click here for all ongoing project information.
If you’re ready to implement wind energy, have any questions, or just want to chat further, contact us here.
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