WINDPOWER 2005 Expected to Be Largest Wind Energy Event
Ever Held in North America

Broad Spectrum of Political, Utility, and Wind Industry Leaders
to Gather in Denver and Discuss Critical Issues

Washington, D.C. –The WINDPOWER 2005 Conference and Exhibition, expected to be the largest wind energy event ever in North America, will take place May 15-18 in Denver, Colorado. WINDPOWER will bring together utility executives, federal and state officials, and wind industry CEOs to discuss the challenges facing the wind energy industry and the future of one of the world’s fastest-growing energy sources.

“Given the precarious state of the world’s energy market, there is no better time for business leaders, government leaders, and utility executives to gather and discuss how the wind energy industry can reach its potential to supply the nation with clean, domestic, inexhaustible electricity,“ said American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Executive Director Randall Swisher.

Featured speakers at the conference will include:

• The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper, Mayor of Denver

• Rebecca Watson, Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management,
  U.S. Department of Interior

• Wayne Brunetti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xcel Energy, Inc.

• Thomas Carbone, President, Vestas Americas

• Terry Hudgens, President and Chief Executive Officer, PPM Energy, Inc.

• Mark Little, Vice President of Power Generation, GE Energy

• Eric Markell, Senior Vice President of Energy Resources, Puget Sound Energy

• Andreas Nauen, President, Siemens Wind Power Division

• Todd Raba, President, MidAmerican Energy Company

• Mike O’Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Development, FPL Energy

• Gary Thompson, Director, Nebraska Public Power District

AWEA will host on-site media availabilities on Monday, May 16 and Tuesday May 17 to provide journalists with an opportunity to interview many of the featured speakers. Reporters unable to attend in person will be able to participate in each availability via a national toll-free dial-in number that will be provided by AWEA.

“As the home of one of the nation’s newest statewide renewable energy standards, Colorado is a perfect location for this year’s conference,” Swisher continued. “The growing importance of wind energy to the entire Intermountain West and wind’s potential to provide an increasing amount of the nation’s energy will be a key focus of the conference.”

Speakers will address a variety of topics critical to the continued growth of the wind industry, including: extension of the federal wind energy production tax credit, implementation of non-discriminatory transmission access policies for wind, federal policies on siting, increased support for the development and use of small wind turbines, and a host of related issues.

AWEA, the convener and organizer of WINDPOWER 2005, expects over 4,000 attendees. The conference will be an extremely efficient way to gain cutting edge information on any important wind-related topic, including the state of technology, policy updates, utility involvement, and business and financial trends. The conference will feature 40 sessions and a spectacular show floor with more than 200 exhibitors demonstrating the latest in wind energy technology.

This year is expected to set a record for wind development in the U.S., with over 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new projects coming on line, compared to 389 MW in 2004.

For more information visit the AWEA Web site at http://www.awea.org/wp05.html or contact Christine Real de Azua at (202) 383-2508 or via email at christine@awea.org . 

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AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org

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