DES MOINES -- To help strengthen Iowa's wind energy industry, Gov. Chet Culver unveiled a Web site-based alliance Wednesday he said will grow renewable energy jobs and projects by connecting businesses, schools and the public sector.

The Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development, at www.iawind.org, will help tap the state's "unlimited potential" in the wind energy industry by linking five community colleges, Iowa's three Regents universities, and the state with industry, Culver said.

The site, part of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, will be instrumental in aiding the state to meet its long-term goal of having 25 percent of Iowa's energy come from renewable sources, such as wind, he said.

Students can use the site to learn more about Iowa colleges' industry-geared academic programs, which can prepare them with the skills necessary to break into the industry, said P. Barry Butler, the dean of engineering at the University of Iowa.

"We have a youth base in this state that is incredibly interested in the future of wind energy, and they are hungry for the academic programs," Butler said. "They are hungry for going to work in this business."

For example, the class size at an Iowa Lakes Community College wind energy and turbine technician program has grown from 14 students four years ago to close to 90 this coming academic year, Culver said. Graduates of the two-year program have landed jobs paying $60,000, he said. "These are really good jobs with fantastic wages," Culver said.

In addition to helping students make academic decisions, the alliance will help ensure businesses' worker needs are met, Culver said.

"We really want, as much as anything, to know with certainty what areas, in terms of the workforce, where we're going to have challenges," Culver said.

Contact Whitney Woodward

at (515) 243-0138 or

whitney.woodward@lee.net.