OKLAHOMA CITY – Dubbed “Revolution 2009,” this year’s Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference has attracted people from all over the country, though one vendor said fewer than last year.

Former CIA director under President Clinton James Woolsey discussed the “growing partnership between wind, solar and natural gas.” And Denise Bode, CEO of American Wind Energy Association in Washington, gave the opening address Wednesday.

Seminars and break-out sessions were on the Cox Convention Center’s second floor, while in the main hall dozens of booths offered information on wind energy.

Maggie McGowan, event coordinator, said the “response has been overwhelming.”

“It’s been going really well,” McGowan said. “From a coordinators standpoint, it’s been fine.”

And while there wasn’t an energy superstar like T. Boone Pickens speaking at the Downtown event, which ends at 2 p.m. today, McGowan said that the conference was pleased so many energy and energy-connected companies opted to set up booths and share information.

Richard Carpenter, a meteorologist with Norman-based Weather Decision Technologies, said he gets wind turbine questions, particularly about repairs on turbines in extreme weather.

Betty Mosburg, executive director of the Panhandle Regional Economic Development Coalition in Guymon said with low unemployment, rising population and location in a key wind corridor on the Southern Plains, the region has a lot to offer a company or individual considering Texas County.

“A lot of (people stopping at her booth) are looking for work,” she said, noting the slow economy.

“The cost of what they’re paying for wind energy is half of what they were paying last year,” Mosburg said.

With Hooker-based Tri-County Electric cooperative and a planned transmission line between Woodward and the Panhandle, energy – wind and otherwise – is becoming increasingly more common in that rural corner of Oklahoma.

“There are a lot of positive things to look forward to in our area,” added Mosburg.

At the Reagan Smith Energy Solutions booth, spokeswoman Brittany Timmons said not only were wind conference attendees interested in the company’s free Reagan Smith ink pens and bag clips, they had questions as well.

“A lot of landowners are interested in putting turbines on their property,” Timmons said.

Shirley S. Nichols, senior environmental manager for Omaha-based HDR Engineering, a company that deals with renewable, solar and wind energies said questions about wind turbines are common.

“They want to know how much work it is to get a turbine,” Nichols said. “Many are interested in private and residential turbines.”

Nichols said she tells them it all “depends on the property they have, if they are in a good wind corridor” and other issues. And HDR, she said, has been very busy this year.

“We just finished wind projects in Iowa, Illinois, West Virginia and Texas and we’re looking to expand in Oklahoma.”

Asked about the number of people coming by her booth, Nichols said it was noticeably quieter this time around.

“Last year was a little busier,” she said. “I think the economy has something to do with it.”

Revolution 2009 concludes Thursday at 2 p.m.

By Andrew W. Griffin

Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

Posted: December 2, 2009

andrew@oklahomawatchdog.org

Copyright 2009 Oklahoma Watchdog