The conference on wind energy is being organized by the Indiana Wind Working Group, The Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development and Purdue University.

Press Release

Indiana’s first large conference dedicated to the state’s wind industry will be held this June in Indianapolis. WIndiana 2008 will, focus on economic development, legal and technical issues, and will feature Lt. Governor Becky Skillman as the keynote speaker. The conference will provide insight into wind projects currently under construction or in the planning stages in Indiana. Participants also will discuss how to increase wind industry manufacturing opportunities in Indiana.

Experts on wind energy from across Indiana and the country are scheduled to attend and address the conference. Among them, Larry Flowers, National Technical Director of Wind Powering America, a federal program run from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Flowers has held various management positions at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the past 27 years.

“Indiana is on the verge of explosive growth in wind energy, “said Lt. Governor Becky Skillman. “There is not one single energy issue or technology that has fostered more interest and discussion among Hoosiers. As these turbines begin sprouting on Indiana farmland there is a huge appetite for information about them, which is why we’re bringing all these people together.”

The conference is scheduled for June 17 and 18 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. As many as 300 people are expected to attend. Working sessions will be held both days, and the second day of the conference will feature tours of two wind projects. One will be the Benton County Wind Farm project near Earl Park, Indiana, and the other will be a small wind installation just now being constructed at a business near Indianapolis.

The conference is being organized by the Indiana Wind Working Group, The Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development and Purdue University. It is partially funded through a grant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Registration information is available at www.energy.IN.gov.

The Office of Energy & Defense Development (OED) was created in December 2005 as an extension of the Indiana energy office. Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, OED is responsible for the state’s energy policy. The office leads Indiana’s efforts to develop alternative fuels for the U.S. military and assists in the development of Indiana’s defense, aerospace and homeland security industries. For more information visit www.in.gov/energy.

Source: Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development