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newsroom
AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION'S NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS DEMONSTRATES INDUSTRY'S BREADTH New Members Include Xcel Energy, JPMorgan, Four new members joining the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Board of Directors symbolize the growing trend toward large, well-known corporations joining the emerging wind power industry. The new members--Paul Bonavia, President, Utilities Group, Xcel Energy; John Eber, Managing Director, JPMorgan Capital; Bob Lukefahr, President, Power Americas, BP Alternative Energy; and Michael Polsky, CEO, Invenergy--come from leading utility, financial, and energy development companies. The new President of the Board is Robert Gates, Senior Vice President of wind developer and turbine manufacturer Clipper Windpower. The Board of Directors governs the association and sets strategic priorities for its activities. “We are delighted to welcome these new members,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “This new Board and its new President take the reins of the association at a time of exceptional growth and opportunity for the U.S. wind energy industry, and we look forward to the insight, experience, and leadership that they will provide over the coming year.” The association has grown from about 200 business members in 2000 to over 1,100 today, including many leading national and multinational companies that are further increasing their already sizable investments in wind energy technology. “Wind power is cost-effective, readily available, and can meet a large portion of our fast-growing demand for electricity while providing an essential element of the climate change solution,” said Robert Gates, Senior Vice President for Clipper Windpower and AWEA’s new President of the Board. “But to rapidly build up the supply chain and expand on a large scale to meet that demand, the industry needs long-term policy support, and that will be one of AWEA’s top priorities this year.” Paul Bonavia, President, Utilities Group, Xcel Energy, has indicated that Xcel Energy, a leading electric and natural gas utility and the nation’s No. 1 wind power provider (with over 1,300 megawatts on its utility system), will continue to expand its wind portfolio by owning and operating projects as well as through alliances with wind power developers and community-based organizations. “The significant growth in our wind power resources stems from some of the nation’s most ambitious renewable portfolio standards, which we supported, as well as John M. Eber, Managing Director, JPMorgan Capital, said his presence on the Board is indicative of Wall Street’s and his own firm’s strong interest in renewable energy. "JPMorgan's investments in wind power underscore the firm's environmental policy and commitment to sustainability, while simultaneously meeting its financial goals,” said Eber. "BP believes wind energy will play an important part in helping America produce lower carbon electricity and address the long-term issue of climate change," said Bob Lukefahr, President, Power Americas, BP Alternative Energy North America. "AWEA plays a vital role in the U.S. wind industry - fostering best practices, shaping public policy, and educating the public about the benefits of wind energy. I am honored to participate on the AWEA board," added Lukefahr. BP Alternative Energy, launched in November 2005, combines all of BP’s interests in low and zero-carbon power generation: wind, solar, hydrogen with carbon capture and storage and gas-fired power generation. BP’s wind portfolio includes the opportunity to develop almost 100 projects across 25 states with a potential total generating capacity of 15,000 MW. “As a developer of wind projects, our company works closely with the communities in which we are involved, and we are proud to share that experience with the industry,” said Michael Polsky, CEO, Invenergy LLC. The company has projects under development in about twenty states in the U.S., and additional projects in Canada and Europe. Invenergy joins several other development companies on AWEA’s Board. For the full list of the members of the Board of Directors of the American Wind Energy Association, see http://www.awea.org/about/board_of_directors.html. AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association's membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org. # # # |
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