OwnEnergy

Jim Nichols calls himself a corn and wind farmer.

“I grow two crops: fuel for your car—ethanol—and electricity for your home. I believe the future for farming is energy,” he says.

Commercial renewable energy investments in the US have grown to more than $2.4 billion, according to industry watcher Clean Edge, Inc (CEI). A refreshing new level of commitment by U.S. politicians at the regional, state, and federal levels and significant corporate investments, acquisitions and expansion initiatives are stimulating unprecedented industry growth in renewable energy.

The wind industry that convened in Detroit this week was a different crowd than typically attends a wind energy event—the talk was more of kilowatts than megawatts, reflecting a higher profile for small and community wind.

Charles Newcomb has gotten something out of his experience co-chairing AWEA’s Small and Community Wind Conference that he didn’t expect. It opened his eyes to the opportunity offered by AWEA to leverage an entire industry’s intellectual capacity.