America's leading corporations are turning off fossil-fuels and switching to clean, green wind power. The trend began during the Bush years, but recent announcements from some of America's largest corporations indicate the switchover may be accelerating, in harmony with the Obama Administration's strong support for both wind and solar energy.
On February 10, Dow Corning announced it is purchasing nearly 100 percent of the electrical load required for the company's corporate headquarters in Midland, Mich., where more than 1,100 employees work. Dow Corning is equally owned by Dow Chemical and Corning and is also a manufacturer of silicones used to make wind turbines run more efficiently.
Wells Fargo, the San Francisco based bank, has offset its entire corporate energy consumption with wind power. The company was recognized in the latest January 9, 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “Green Power Partnership” rankings as one of the nation largest Fortune 500 purchasers of wind power.
Despite the economic slowdown, the U.S. wind power industry continues to grow rapidly. In the fourth quarter of 2008 the U.S overtook Germany to become the world leader in wind power, rocketing past 21,000 megawatts of installed capacity – equivalent energy to service 5.5 million American homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association.