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Welcome
From Local to Global: The Rhode Island Model for Harnessing Wind Power Worldwide convened leaders and experts on wind energy, and local, state and federal government officials to address ways to meet Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri’s call for 15 percent of the state’s electricity to be generated by wind within the next five years. The conference provided an in-depth examination of the complex issues involved in local development of clean renewable energy. By focusing on efforts to implement wind power in Rhode Island, the conference demonstrated how a local initiative could become a national and global model for increasing clean renewable energy sources.

The conference also served as a platform for disclosing and discussing the results of RIWINDS, a yearlong study on wind energy development in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources commissioned the study, which was conducted by Applied Technology & Management Inc. of Newport, R.I.
On the global level, three key arguments support the development of wind-generated energy:
  • Depletion of nonrenewable energy resources is causing shortages, resulting in spiraling increases of energy costs and harming the global economy.
  • Catastrophic damage from pollution and climate change from fossil fuel combustion are an increasing and measurable danger to the global environment.
  • International tensions over diminishing energy resources are causing geopolitical instability, including terrorism, that threatens global peace.

This conference was free and open to the public.