Staying competitive in the global wind industry is the focus of the “Making It Here” conference in Cleveland this week sponsored by the Great Lakes Wind Network.
The forum will engage suppliers, manufacturers, developers and legislators to engage in a dialogue to expand new domestic jobs and investments, and one of the critical issues to be discussed will be the use of domestic content in wind turbines erected in the United States, according to Ed Weston, Executive Director of GLWN.
“While the competitiveness of wind power in the U.S. continues to improve, its gains are being achieved at a painful cost to some U.S. manufacturers' market share,” Weston said in a recent blog post. “That is the feedback from companies that are struggling due to plunging price points for turbine components and the growing trend toward imported alternatives.”
Another policy issue confronting the wind industry is the need for the extension of the federal production tax credit. In June, Roby Roberts of Horizon Wind Energytestified before Congress on behalf of the American Wind Energy Associationabout the importance of the production tax credit.
“Failure to extend this incentive will result in a large tax increase on wind energy developers that will be reflected in the cost of wind power, making it less competitive with competing sources that also receive federal incentives,” Roberts said in written remarks. “Given lead times for project development, it is important to act now to avoid a lull in development post-2012.”
In addition to the educational sessions, participants are able to choose from company tours of Timken Company, Cardinal Fasteneror Lincoln Electric.
Interested individuals can register by clicking here.
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