CLEAN ENERGY CREATES JOBS

Wind energy is shaping the future for generations to come. So far, roughly $12 billion in private capital investment has been made in the Sunflower State by the wind industry, and with several billion of additional investment coming in new projects currently under construction. These wind projects have created more than 12,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state.

Wind energy in Kansas helps revitalize rural economies. Over $36 million is paid annually in land leases to landowners which host wind projects on their land, supplying a new stream of steady revenue.

• Clean energy in Kansas also creates brand new career opportunities in the state, and education programs exist statewide to prepare future workers for these well-paying careers. These programs include: The University of Kansas offers a wind turbine engineering course as part of its Aerospace Engineering major.
• Cloud County Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in wind energy technology and a certificate program in wind energy.
  • The CCCC certification is either a one- or two-year program. Has a 100% job placement rate and was the first wind turbine technician certification program in the United States.
• Colby Community College offers a Sustainable/Renewable Energy Associate of Applied Science degree and one- and two-year wind certificate programs
• Johnson County Community College offers a certificate program for solar thermal and solar photovoltaic installers, and an Associate of Applied Science degree for designers, technicians and installers in a full array of solar hardware, software and best practices
• Kansas State University’s Wind Application Center educates electrical engineers on the basics of wind energy
• Pinnacle Career Institute in Kansas City offers a Wind Turbine Technician program

According to the Kansas Department of Commerce, “Siemens Gamesa chose Kansas for a wind turbine production facility, citing transportation advantages, pro-business climate and new financial incentives for wind manufacturing projects. A Kansas location offers companies in the wind supply chain ideal access to the new Siemens nacelle plant and numerous other manufacturers in the region. In fact, at least six major wind turbine manufacturers have nacelle production plants within a 500-mile radius of Kansas.”

The workforce opportunity in Kansas for renewable energy is powerful, as the state helps to propel the country towards wind and solar.