Blade road trip to highlight wind energy policy, jobs

Over the next 28 days a 131-foot long wind turbine blade designed for GE’s 1.5 megawatt wind turbine will be making its way from South Dakota to Dallas, Texas — a total distance of 2,436 miles across 9 states. The road trip began yesterday in Aberdeen, South Dakota, at the Molded Fiber Glass factory where wind turbine blades are manufactured.

At stops along the route, citizens will be asked to sign the blade, making it an unusually graphic petition in support of renewable energy. People will also have a chance to get their pictures taken alongside the blade. The purpose of the trip is to highlight the value of renewable energy, and the need for policies that will allow it to expand, resulting in less pollution and more manufacturing jobs in the United States.

“Alternative energy solutions matter,” said Vic Abate, vice president of GE’s Renewable Energy business. “America has the power to choose a better energy future. American technology and innovation can create a cleaner, smarter, more efficient energy economy that will create more growth, more exports and more American jobs but we need the right policy at the Federal level… The rest of the world is not standing still. China and Europe have already enacted robust, clean energy policies that are driving technology investments and creating real jobs. Sustainable policy works.”

The road trip will end in Dallas at the site of AWEA’s WINDPOWER 2010 Conference and Exhibition. While it is possible there may be some larger turbine blades around, there is no wind energy gathering larger than WINDPOWER.

Watch this site for some guest blogs from the GE blade road trip.

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