The Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) has entered into a formal partnership with the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) to collaborate on building the distributed and community wind markets in the U.S., as well as coordinating on federal and state policy initiatives.
Community wind is characterized by local participation, usually in the form of ownership and control, and community wind projects typically range in size from less than 1 MW to 20 MW, though they are sometimes larger.
"All sizes and models of development are important if the U.S. wind industry is to grow to at least 20 percent of our nation's electricity portfolio," comments Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO.
By joining forces, AWEA and DWEA say they will be able to more effectively secure and allocate resources to support the growing community wind energy market. As members of both DWEA and AWEA, distributed and community wind companies will have an even greater opportunity to take advantage of targeted publications, reports, policy initiatives and networking opportunities offered by both organizations.
"We are pleased to partner with AWEA on their distributed and community wind work," says DWEA Executive Director Jennifer Jenkins. "We look forward to fostering a collaborative network of community and distributed wind members and continuing to build and expand this growing industry together."
