In these times of tough economic news, a new wind could be blowing opportunity into the Midwest.
This story from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal says a report from the think tank Minnesota 2020 says that state, already the fourth largest provider of wind energy in the nation, could create more than 2,200 jobs and generate about $9 billion in economic development over the next several decades by constructing 4,059 megawatts of wind generated power:
A good portion of the jobs created would be in the manufacturing sector, according to the report, an industry that has been hit hard during the recession.
In order to achieve this, the report states that Minnesota should focus on localizing wind turbine building and ownership, which has a greater impact on stimulating local economy.
Since 2005, Minnesota rapidly increased its wind capacity, growing by about 31 percent each year.
The increase in wind energy would help Minnesota get closer to its mandate that utilities must generate 25 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2025.