Atlanta – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback spoke today at the annual WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta. The conference featured an exhibition of wind energy technology, including large-scale components, as well as presentations on industry trends, technology developments, and renewable energy policy developments.
Governor Brownback spoke to a crowd of roughly 600 wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, service providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, and researchers about the impact of wind energy on the Kansas economy.
“Kansas understands the positive impact that wind energy can make. More than 1,200 new, high-paying manufacturing jobs have been announced in Kansas in the last two years directly related to renewable energy. Kansas also has more wind energy construction projects underway than any other state, with at least 663 new turbines set to be installed and nearly $3 billion of new investment from 2011 to the end of 2012,” said Governor Brownback. “To harness the potential of this industry, we have made the tax code fairer and flatter for small business, as well as allowing businesses to expense investments in the year that they make them. People want to use clean energy—we have to make it feasible for them to do so.”
The American Wind Energy Association hosts the annual WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition.