When we think of coal country, we are immediately drawn to West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. However, Wyoming is where most of the coal comes from, with Wyoming producing four times more coal than West Virginia.
But coal miners in Wyoming, like their counterparts in Appalachia, have also been hit with devastating job losses in recent years as the use of coal to make energy has declined. And while Wyoming has not been totally open to wind energy – It’s the only state that taxes wind energy production – Electricity from wind farms still makes up 8.0 percent of the state’s energy portfolio.
The Cowboy State is all about self-reliance and hard work and no one can accuse Wyoming’s citizens of being lazy or stupid. That’s why the American arm of China’s Goldwind, a world leader in wind turbine technology, is offering to retrain Wyoming’s out-of-work coal miners to become wind farm technicians.
READ MORE: Renewable energy jobs could offset loss of jobs in coal industry
The good news came during an energy conference in Wyoming last week, where Goldwind Americas announced the free training program. The Goldwind Works program will kick off in June, beginning with informational meetings.
“Coal workers are ideal because they have relevant electrical and mechanical skills as well as experience working under difficult conditions,” explained David Halligan, Goldwind America’s chief executive. “If we can tap into that market and also help out folks that might be experiencing some challenges in the workforce today, I think that it can be a win-win situation.”
Goldwind Americas plans on supplying up to 850 wind turbines for a large wind farm project in Carson, Wyoming, so-named because of the extensive coal deposits in the area and the home of the first coal mine in the state.
Goldwind Americas, headquartered in Chicago, is a world-leading wind turbine technology and energy solutions provider.
