Page 35 - MetalForming September 2019

nents. The operating environment of wind turbines reportedly greatly exceed those of automobiles, and even though production volumes are lower, as wind power projects increase, the automotive mindset of many formers and fabrica- tors transfer well to this technology.
With a federal tax credit ending at the close of 2019, wind power enters a critical stage, but, “unlike in previous years, when wind development ground to a halt when subsidies dried up, industry representatives are predicting only a modest slowdown,” according to an article in Scientific American.
U.S. wind-farm development activ- ity rose to a new high point in the sec- ond quarter of 2019, cites an August 2019 report from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Pushing development: strong consumer demand from Fortune 500 businesses and util- ities as well as calls from multiple states for offshore projects. In addition, according to AWEA, wind-turbine man- ufacturers saw an increasing number of factory orders for more powerful turbines capable of powering almost twice the number of homes as an aver- age turbine installed in the past few years.
“The U.S. grid now includes an addi- tional 736 MW of wind power as devel- opers commissioned four new wind farms in the second quarter,” reads AWEA’s U.S. Wind Industry Second Quarter 2019 Market Report. “This brings total U.S. wind capacity to 97,960 MW, with more than 57,000 wind tur- bines operating in 41 states and two U.S. territories. American wind farms now produce enough electricity to power more than 30 million average homes and reliably supply more than 20 percent of the electricity in six states.”
AWEA goes on to mention that the wind industry also “supports a record number of U.S. jobs, more than 114,000, with substantial room to grow as the industry continues to scale up in the heartland and offshore. Roughly a quarter of those careers are found at more than 500 U.S. factories manufac- turing or assembling wind-turbine components.”
New Tech. Keeps Trains on Track
As described above, regulations and government mandates drive a large share of opportunities in the energy and transportation sectors. Positive Train Control (PTC), designed to main- tain safeguards along U.S. railroad infrastructure, represents another example.
Described most basically, PTC sens-
es train movement and, if need be, slows or stops trains in a controlled manner to prevent collisions, provide for railway worker and passenger safety, enforce line speeds and manage track congestion. The federal government requires full PTC implementation by the end of 2020, with more than 85 percent of required routes currently in compliance.
PTC demands communication
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