Wind energy companies will donate $1 million to Hurricane Harvey repair and rebuilding as partners of Habitat for Humanity’s Habitat Hammers Back initiative. Participating companies include Apex Clean Energy, Blattner Energy, Duke Energy, EDF Renewable Energy, EDP Renewables, Enel Green Power North America, E.ON, Goldwind Americas, Hannon Armstrong, Invenergy, Leeward Renewable Energy, MAP Royalty, Pattern Energy, TPI Composites and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
According to AWEA, the funds will support repairs and rebuilding efforts in areas impacted by the storm, which first made landfall Aug. 25 near Corpus Christi, Texas. The organizations also plan to send volunteers to help with the rebuilding effort. Texas has a quarter of U.S. wind power capacity and over 22,000 Texans work in the industry, among 102,500 wind jobs nationwide. The state’s more than 12,000 wind turbines themselves emerged unscathed from the storm.
Habitat is already at work responding to Hurricane Harvey, helping families to clean up and prepare for the rebuilding effort to come. Habitat will work with its local offices throughout the hurricane-affected regions to assess the shelter and housing needs and develop response options. In addition to long-term housing repair and construction, Habitat’s response includes organizing volunteers and resources to help with the cleanup of homes damaged by wind and flood waters.
