As a wind power advocate, hardly a day goes by when I don’t talk about Texas.
Our industry has grown into a thriving American success story in recent years, and it simply isn’t possible to tell that story without including the Lone Star State. Nearly a quarter of America’s wind power is there, and 40 Texas factories churn out parts for wind turbines.
So it’s with a heavy heart that I along with the rest of the wind community watched the damage from Hurricane Harvey.
“More than 22,000 wind workers are in the state of Texas so this has hit very close to home for us,” said Steven Lockard, President and CEO of TPI Composites. “We all feel the need to help with this rebuilding effort.”
Many of those workers are based in the Houston area. EDF Renewables alone has 400 employees in its Houston office.
“Several E.ON employees around our Papalote Creek Wind Farm lost their homes, and even more saw their communities devastated when the hurricane made landfall,” said Patrick Woodson, Chairman of E.ON North America.
That’s why the U.S. wind industry has banded together to aid in the rebuilding effort. We’re partnering with Habitat for Humanity and donating $1 million to the Habitat Hammers Back initiative. This program will help repair and rebuild areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
“Habitat for Humanity is committed to helping families recover from Hurricane Harvey, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of our partners like these American wind energy companies,” said Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford. “Their gift is an investment in the long-term recovery of these communities.”
In a state that has given our industry so much, we want to give back.
Wind companies participating in the relief effort so far include: Apex Clean Energy, Blattner Energy, Duke Energy, EDF Renewable Energy, EDP Renewables, Enel Green Power North America, Inc., E.ON, Goldwind Americas, Hannon Armstrong, Invenergy, Leeward Renewable Energy, Lincoln Clean Energy, MAP Royalty, Pattern Energy, TPI Composites, and the American Wind Energy Association.
Also making the $1 million pledge to become “keystone partners” of Habitat Hammers Back were the Dow Chemical Company, General Motors, and Thrivent Financial.
It’s crucial that we support our wind power brethren in their recovery. If you would like to help, please visit https://www.habitat.org/donate/?link=862.
