Alternative Energy 

By: Mike Adams, PCI Wind Turbine Technician graduate

I’ve written before about how “new” the wind industry is, but really that’s quite relative. When we look at “The Wind Industry” we’re usually thinking about the utility scale era. Wind Turbines that produce the kind of power that is able to be put on the grid, in other words. In the United States, California was the state to first kick off this type of power production in large scale. This was around the late 70’s to early 80’s and compared to today’s modern turbines those machines are ancient.  But none the less, that was really the starting point for the large scale wind power production that we are headed for. In another 30 years I’m sure we’ll be looking back at today’s technology and be equally amazed at the advancements. 

Being a Wind Turbine Technician isn’t just about having an aptitude for mechanics and electricity. It’s not about being able to brave the heights and extreme elements. It’s not the solitary work and time spent traveling.  It’s not the potential of good money, or the large number of advancement opportunities in an emerging industry. Sure these are important pieces, but really it’s about so much more!

The Wind Turbine Technician program is 16 months old in June.  As with any program, especially one which is technician based, we consistently evaluate our curriculum. 

If you’ve ever seen a wind farm in real life, you understand how grand and impressive they are as they tower gracefully over the prairie.  Wind turbines are also a sign of the future, as they are a growing source of energy—one that does not create any air or water pollution.  The United States is now the world leader in producing wind energy.  With 35,000 megawatts of capacity, the wind power produced in the United States can generate as much electricity as three large nuclear power plants.