May 29, 2002

Wind Power Blowing Worldwide

Dear GENI Friend,

Sometimes you just have to blow your own horn. The headline and enclosed article is the May 2002 feature story of The IEEE Institute newspaper. This article comes directly from the New York panel session: Harnessing Untapped Windpower Worldwide. GENI coordinated this group of experts, and the results are now being seen by 300,000 engineers from all disciplines, not just the power sector.

Installed wind capacity has grown 24% and 31% over the past two years. What we are seeing is the establishment and acceleration of a competitive technology. Global firms are now becoming major players -- for example, Enron Wind has just been purchased by GE Power Systems. If you had foreseen the beginning of the computer or telecom industry, how might you have participated?

Also this month, our panel on Harnessing Untapped Hydropower Worldwide was featured in the May 2002 IEEE Power Engineering Review . The featured articles: HVDC Offers the Key to Untapped Hydro Potential (by Brian Gemmell and John Loughran) and Sustainable Generation Potential(by David Balser). Since each article is four pages, we can't send these to you unless you request them. What's exciting is that their message goes straight to the heart of the utility industry - and how the industry can transition towards long-term sustainability.

We see these reports as critical trimtabs. The energy/utility business has lead times of 5-10 years for many projects, with power plant lifetimes of 40-100 years. The changes and decisions made today will be felt by your grandchildren. Native Americans said to think seven generations forward as we build our society. So, thank you for your interest in our work, as you are the trimtab that makes it possible.

In partnership for the planet

Peter Meisen
President

Keywords:Wind power blowing worldwide, utility industry,long-term sustainability, global energy network institute, international electricity transmission, grid, power, environmental educational programs