energy:

Reid flips switch on state’s first wind turbine

Turbine will be used to train workers to maintain wind farms

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | 2:15 p.m.

Reid Commissions Wind Turbine

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid flipped the switch and Mother Nature provided ample gusts today, turning the state’s first wind turbine to provide electricity to the power grid.

The 51-foot Skystream 3.7 windmill won’t satisfy the state’s energy needs, it will help train the electrical workers who will build and maintain future wind farms throughout the country.

It’s located at 620 Leigon Way, near Bonanza Road and Lamb Boulevard, at the joint training center of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 357 and the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of Southern Nevada.

To tap Nevada’s potential to generate electricity through wind turbines, the industry will need an educated workforce, Reid said.

“Someone wants to have a solar panel put on the roof of their home or a wind turbine in their backyard or some business wants to do it on a larger scale, they need to go where people know how to use the technology,” he said. “Anytime you see something like this, it means jobs.”

The Electrical JATC has trained 300 workers since 2006 on photovoltaic panels and the first class on wind turbines filled up within a week, said Madison Burnett, training director of the Electrical JATC.

Burnett said he receives calls from around the country from electrical workers who want to be trained on the turbines.

“Right now I don’t know of anyone providing training. We’d be the first,” he said. “Our biggest thing is to make sure the worker is well-trained on the system because if they’re not, this will fail. People will become discouraged and this will fail.”

Duke Energy has proposed harnessing Southern Nevada’s winds near Searchlight with a wind farm capable of generating 300 megawatts.

NV Energy offers homeowners rebates of $2.50 per watt for wind turbines, based on the turbine’s electricity production capacity, further creating demand for trained installers.

The demand for “green” jobs could also receive a boost from the federal economic recovery plan, which provides $78.6 billion in clean energy, energy efficiency, environmental and green transportation funding. There are also energy-related tax incentives.

The Nevada Legislature has mandated that 15 percent of power generated in the state come from renewable resources by 2013.

The country needs to diversify its energy resources to become less dependent on foreign oil, Reid said.

“On a national level we need to make sure on a certain day, a certain percentage of all energy produced in the United States comes from renewable resources,” he said. “That’ll be part of what we’ll be working on this year.”

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

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By Nick

April 14, 2009

3:03 p.m.

Suggest removal

Every step in the right direction brings us closer to where we need to be.

Thank you Harry.
By perry161492

April 14, 2009

5:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

we need to use our wind and sun in this state
By jojogirl

Dec. 21, 2009

11:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

Were are the jobs Harry Reid?????!!!!! Your damn Health care reform is so freaking important! Have you overlooked the fact that the 80% of all Americans are HAPPY with the health care that we have already? What about us! What are we to do to to put food on our families plates and pay the mortgage? Create jobs for the American people for crying out loud!!! And not with another huge stimulus bill! How are we going to pay that back Harry Reid? When is this damn wind turbine going to happen? After we are all living in a cardboard box in a tent City somewhere? You disgust me and I will NOT vote for you! You are a complete disaster and and utter embarrassment to the people of Las Vegas, Nevada! You SUCK!