Environment

Revolt: Blue-Collar Wind

The wind energy industry is reshaping life in Middle America, bringing new jobs and revenue to the heartland.

Revolt: Blue-Collar Wind
Newsy / Kevin Clancy
SMS

America's energy revolution is here, and it's starting in the heartland. Iowa has embraced the wind energy industry like no other state. In this report, we explore how clean energy is reshaping three major tenets of life in the Midwest: farming, manufacturing and education.

Our new series "Revolt" explores these issues in a fresh context that's focused on Middle America. This is the second of six episodes that will debut weekly every Monday.

Revolt: When It Rains
Revolt: When It Rains

Revolt: When It Rains

It's not just rising sea levels. A warmer planet means drought, extreme weather and raging wildfires across Middle America.

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Full source list and bibliography:- Wind turbine technician is the fastest growing job in the U.S. — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics- "Iowa ... gets about a third of its electricity from wind power — more than any other state." — American Wind Energy Association- "Most landowners in Iowa get $5,000 to $8,000 for each turbine each year." — Tom Wind, owner of Wind Utility Consulting, Yale Environment 360- "These things also bring in a lot of money through property taxes, sending millions of dollars in Iowa to schools, hospitals, roads and more." — Iowa Environmental Council- "A single Maytag factory once employed one in every five residents in Newton, Iowa. ... That is, until the factory closed its doors and moved production to Mexico." — CBS