Winds of Change: A Manufacturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry
This report, written with input from the American Wind Energy Association and the United Steelworkers, shows the U.S. wind industry can create tens of thousands of jobs manufacturing turbines and components with long-term market development policies.
With the development of the clean energy economy, the U.S. is poised to revitalize the manufacturing sector and create new clean energy manufacturing jobs across the country. The wind energy industry, which currently employs 18,500 workers in the manufacturing sector, could support tens of thousands of additional jobs manufacturing wind turbines and components if the right policies are put in place. The past five years have seen remarkable growth for the American wind industry, but this has come in the absence of a long-term and stable market for wind energy or specific policies to support wind’s manufacturing sector. Thus, while growth in wind energy manufacturing has been impressive, with more than seven-fold employment growth in five years, it could be far greater with strong policies aimed at creating a long-term, stable market and supporting the manufacturing sector’s transition into the production of wind equipment.