Winds of Change: The Bright Future of Wind Power

Complimenting hydro generation, wind power is amongst the largest sources of renewable energy in the United States, with record-breaking turbine installations increasing the country’s wind energy production by 30% in the past two years, according to the World Economic Forum.

As a leader in delivering large wind projects across the U.S., Wood was proud to attend Clean Power Conference, recently hosted in San Antonio, as a sponsor the U.S. Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition where we engaged and heard from the next generation of wind generators.

Over the course of three days, we witnessed brilliant, young minds from some of the country’s top colleges as they competed in creating the best designs for maximum wind turbine output under the watchful eyes of judges from the U.S. Department of Energy. The ‘energy’ in the room came not just from the wind tunnels on site, but also from the excitement and competitive spirit of the teams as students from twelve schools including Virginia Tech, Washington State and Cal Maritime participated in challenges for the best turbine prototype, most resilient design, and premier project development.

We spoke directly to the students who were eager to understand more about the practicalities of the industry- the career paths available to them, designing and delivering large-scale wind projects, and how they can use their passion to make a difference.

As we celebrate Global Wind Day, our thoughts turn to the students we met. Their drive, energy, and creativity inspire and remind us of the exciting and exponential potential in wind power, including offshore generation. The pace of change in the industry and in the technologies we apply, such as Wood’s digital twin capabilities, is compelling. New and efficient ideas, especially those coming from young talent, are going to be a game-changer as we begin to apply these advancements to repower activities and maximize the performance of wind facilities across each stage of the asset lifecycle.

The future is bright and so are the minds.

To learn more about Wood’s expertise in wind energy, click here.