GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- Hundreds of leaders in alternative energy met in Grand Rapids Wednesday for a summit on wind energy.
During the gathering, the American Wind Energy Association released its second quarter report on the industry. It found that only 700 MegaWatts were added in the second quarter. That's down 71 percent from the same time last year.
However, Michigan is leading the nation in wind energy, with five expansions, two new facilities, and plans for three more sites. Our state now employs more than 3,000 people in wind energy manufacturing.
"The industry is growing," says Birgit Klohs of The Right Place. "It's growing in the Midwest, it's growing in Michigan, and we want to make sure that our manufacturers have access to those opportunities."
"One thing we pride ourselves on is manufacturing," says Dan Radomski of Kinetic Partners, a consulting group. "We do it better than anybody else, and our opportunity is to take those strengths and bring them to an industry that's still growing and still needs a lot of help."
More than 200 manufacturers and wind energy pioneers took part in Wednesday's summit at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center.
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