IN 1993, THE NATIONAL WIND TECHNOLOGY CENTER WAS BUILT TO HELP KEEP ENERGY COSTS DOWN AND MAKE WIND ENERGY COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER SOURCES, AND BY 2012, THE UNITED STATES WAS PRODUCING ENOUGH WIND ENERGY TO POWER 15 MILLION HOMES. IN 2013, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE UNVEILED A GRID-CONNECTED OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN CLEAN ENERGY.

BY 2050, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SAYS THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO SUPPLY 35% OF ENERGY VIA WIND, AND IN 2016, WIND TURBINE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS NAMED BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AS THE FASTEST GROWING JOB OF THE DECADE—NOT SURPRISING CONSIDERING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FIRST COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE WIND FARM OFF RHODE ISLAND’S COAST. THIS YEAR, THE UNITED STATES IS PRODUCING ENOUGH WIND ENERGY TO POWER OVER 20 MILLION HOMES.