The rapidly growing U.S. wind industry could well create new manufacturing opportunities and restore jobs lost in the recent economic downturn, according to a new report by researchers at Duke University’s Center for Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness (CGGC).
Global wind capacity has grown at an average rate of 30% per year over the past decade and the United States is currently the world leader in producing wind power. The report, “Wind Power: Generating Electricity and Employment,” reveals hidden economic opportunities that exist within the supply chains that provide parts and labor for the wind power industry.
“American companies have a presence in each sector of the value chain,” said Gary Gereffi, a Duke professor of sociology and one of the report’s authors. “Increased adoption of wind power technologies could have significant positive economic implications for the United States.”
The wind power value chain incorporates six key stages: materials, components, manufacture, logistics, operations, and end use. Many of the needed manufacturing capabilities could be transferred from industries such as the automotive sector and aerospace, the report states.
“Every time a wind power project is installed it creates wind jobs, not only in the manufacturing sector, but also for structural engineers, surveyors, mechanics, sheet metal workers, machinists, truck drivers, construction equipment operators and wind turbine operators,” Gereffi noted.
The findings build on research Gereffi’s group conducted last year linking low-carbon technologies and U.S. jobs. That research assessed five carbon-reducing technologies with potential for future green-job creation in the report “Manufacturing Climate Solutions.”
More information about the research is available at the link below.
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