American Wind Energy Association inducted into the National Environmental Hall of Fame

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) will be inducted into the National Environmental Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 22, in acknowledgement of the Association’s decades of accomplishments in promoting the use of clean, home-grown wind power.

Hans Detweiler, AWEA Manager of State Legislation and Policy, will accept the honor on behalf of the association at a ceremony in Chicago, which is also the 2009 site of AWEA’s annual WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, slated for May 2009. AWEA is recognized along with other top environmental leaders including The Sierra Club, Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and American Solar Energy Society (ASES). Inductees were chosen based on longevity and overall impact in the environmental field.

“Representing over 1,700 corporate members & hundreds of individual advocates, AWEA promotes wind energy as a clean source of electricity for consumers around the world,” said Randall Swisher, Executive Director of AWEA. “This award is a great honor, coming at time when renewable energy, especially wind power, stands on the threshold of dramatically changing how America powers its economy. It's also proof that environmental stewardship and economic development can go hand in hand—more than 50 new wind equipment manufacturing plants have been announced or opened since the beginning of 2007.”

As the national trade association of America’s wind industry, AWEA provides up-to-date, accurate information about the domestic and international wind energy industry. WINDPOWER is one of the fastest growing trade shows in North America. WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition will draw more than 13,000 participants and at least 750 exhibitors to Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center from May 4 – 7, 2009.

Long time wind industry leader, Jim Dehlsen of Clipper Windpower, will also be honored during the Saturday ceremony. Detweiler will accept an award on behalf of Dehlsen, a pioneer in the industry who has been instrumental in wind’s establishment as a mainstream energy resource in the U.S. as founder of Zond (now GE Wind Energy) and Clipper.

For more information about AWEA, visit www.AWEA.org. For more information about the Environmental Hall of Fame, visit www.environmentalfame.com.