Fastest growing job

[Kevin]

I saw this news story. Pretty interesting. Every time I drive down to Houston on I-45, I will see those large wind turbine blades being trucked somewhere.

Always three of them, on three trucks. I assume they are made overseas?

This article also talked about offshore wind farms and some project that got cancelled.

But holy cow! It says 73,000 wind turbines in 44 states.

I’m really not sure what to think of this.

For the fastest-growing job in the US, working remotely is required. But those with a fear of heights need not apply.


Employment of wind-turbine service technicians will increase almost 45% over the next decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts—faster than in any other occupation, bolstered by the federal government's renewable energy push. As makers and operators of wind farms expand training and hiring, experienced technicians can make about $80,000 a year without a college degree—though they must be willing to travel extensively, endure extreme weather and lug 50 pounds of gear up long ladders to confined spaces.

 

[eveled]

Things can go really bad really quickly working on those.

Something else to worry about when society collapses and they stop maintaining them.

 

[Kevin]

I bet they do get hit by lightning from time to time. Tornadoes could also be a problem.

But if society does ever collapse, I’m not going to be thinking about wind turbines.

 

[4896worker]

They are also good at killing eagles and hawks , they fly into the blades.
The hipacrits in California have a special federal exemption that allows them to kill an amount of eagles and hawks a year.

I always wanted an eagle feather head dress I wonder if I could get the same the same exemption

 

[Threespears]

The blades wear out and they are not recycled. they dig a big hole in the earth and bury them

 

[The Norseman]

Maybe we should give exceptions to the
fox, coyotes, raccoons, pet dogs, stray
farm pet cats, truckers, cars, airplanes,
people knocking down nests from killing
birds!

I would be more concerned about the
lookie-loos driving and not watching
the road looking up at the Wind
Turbines! If your a gambler try that
sometime. Should be a Live Gambling
event.

 

[Hvymax]

I'm probably going to build a wood gasifier sometime in the near future.

 

[mr.deerstalker]

I knew this was gunna happen! yekes

 

[Mobuck]

Headed for the windmill grave yard in Indiana(?). See lots of them headed east on Hwy 36 in north MO.

 

[Kevin]

The blades wear out and they are not recycled. they dig a big hole in the earth and bury them

Do you know the life span of a blade? I realize with the estimated number of turbines, there are several hundred thousand blades. I wonder what the life span is of the entire wind turbine?

 

[nekvermont]

I've seen a few of those wind farms around here and wonder why there's always a few turbines that aren't turning.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Kevin,
I'm pretty sure that the blades you see going North on I-45 are from the Port of Corpus Christi. I have seen the laydown area for the wind turbine parts the come from overseas/China

 

[Paul B]

When I go to Albequerque to see my Stepdaughter I go on I-10 to Deming and turn onto a secondary road that saves quite a bit of time to get to I-25. When on that shortcut, I see literally hundred of those damned windmill and almost as many large patches of solar panels. A pox on whomever decided to uglify the desert.
Paul B.

 

[turd]

I feel sorry for the guy that does the maintenance, even if he makes 80K. No way I would climb those towers day in and day out for that. It would keep you in good shape, tho.

 

[Papalote]

The life span is about 20 years. The windmill companies will tell you 35. Look up Delaware mountains wind farm. First one in Texas. Build in the late 90s and early 2000. All gone now.

 

[Jeepnik]

Kevin,
I'm pretty sure that the blades you see going North on I-45 are from the Port of Corpus Christi. I have seen the laydown area for the wind turbine parts the come from overseas/China

Wind turbine blades were originally US made. One of my customers was the first and largest manufacturer. The state and federal environmental laws ended that. One of the chemicals used was banned by the state and highly restricted by the Feds.

The company would be out of business if they didn’t make parts for military aircraft. Oh by the way, the use the same chemical to make those. Apparently, you are given exemptions for some stuff.

 

[Kevin]

I feel sorry for the guy that does the maintenance, even if he makes 80K. No way I would climb those towers day in and day out for that. It would keep you in good shape, tho.

Yeah, $80,000 isn’t enough considering the hazards. I have a feeling it’s probably a lot more money than that.

 

[WAYNO]

In the (Columbia River) Gorge, there are thousands of these turbines. In the heyday of their installation, motels turned into towns for the crews installing these huge contraptions. Not as often as before, we still see these blades being hauled up and down I-84. They are incredibly huge. And these wind farms are grotesque.

 

[turd]

There are wind turbine blades made in Arkansas and in North Dakota.

 

[NH Rugerman]

There are now more efficient and much less invasive designs, the large bladed turbines will all be gone in 25 years…if not sooner.

 

[dweis]

Things can go really bad really quickly working on those. View attachment 34944
Something else to worry about when society collapses and they stop maintaining them.

So what if society does not collapse? The numerous predictions of the collapse of society over the centuries and during 81 years on earth have just not happened. But should it happen a burning windmill will the least of our problems.

 

[dweis]

I read the article the OP mentioned at breakfast. The need for workers is growing daily and the average annual earning is $80,000. No college degree required but it is not a good job for anyone who has a fear of heights.

 

[WAYNO]

Actually, not everybody on these jobs is a climber. There's also work for the folks on the ground.

 

[Mobuck]

'I've seen a few of those wind farms around here and wonder why there's always a few turbines that aren't turning.'
The windmill companies have to sell the power generated. If they don't make the sales, they have to 'park' some of the turbines. Another possibility is maintenance isn't keeping up with wear and tear or periodic maintenance and the turbines are shutdown until the maintenance catches up.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

I was a production Mgr for a wind tower company for 7 years. We made the towers. Picture 37 tuna fish cans welded together on a railroad track in a long factory. It is the biggest scam ever put on America. With out the government tax payer subsidizing them they would have never ever been built. The fastest growing job in American will be a guy hanging from a helicopter painting them in about 7 years. Paint is only warranty for 25 years. America will be seeing a rusted mess on their landscape soon. It's a joke that the demo's put on the American people. And I am a guy that made a heck of a living making them for 7 years. MD

 

[JiminMaine]

We have a few wind farms here in Maine. The Greenies like to tout that they are good for the environment and produce clean energy. If you point out all the environmental damage done when they are installed they don't want to talk about it. They are all installed on the top of the hills here. In order to get to the tops of these hills they had to clear the trees and build a road big enough to drive a truck hauling a 200' long blade to the top. Plus the cement trucks, power lines, etc.

The people that live close to them complain about the noise of those big blades swishing through the air 24/7.

 

[Sam Summey]

I understand there is not a lubricant known to man that can stand up to the gear loading exerted by the blades. The speed of the blades determines the power generated, the speed is controlled by the pitch of the blades. If there is a "run away" I guess the "fail safe" is a brake system that can overheat causing the fire illustrated or the lubricant ignites or both. Then there is the matter of cleaning up the mess of hundreds (maybe thousands) of gallons of oil, damaged blades that can't be recycled, etc. Let's face it, sooner or later they will fail.

 

[black1970]

About every time I go to town which is only 5 miles on US 45 South I see 18 wheelers hauling the hubs. That’s what the blades are attached to. There is no telling how many thousand hubs have been hauled through here in the last few years. Don’t know where they are loaded but it is South of West Tennessee. Every once in a while I will see the turbines being hauled too. Read the tags on one and it said Mouse Tail project from somewhere in Florida.

 

[rwp315]

Things can go really bad really quickly working on those. View attachment 34944
Something else to worry about when society collapses and they stop maintaining them.

My former neighbor (technology manufacturing guy) says it’s the biggest scam on the American public.

Remember Ted Kennedy stopped them from being installed near his home. Said he didn’t want to look out his window and see them.

As a retired pilot we’d see maybe 1/3 of them spinning out of maybe 50-100 around the Chicago area. the Windy City?

 

[dchmule]

I saw this news story. Pretty interesting. Every time I drive down to Houston on I-45, I will see those large wind turbine blades being trucked somewhere.

Always three of them, on three trucks. I assume they are made overseas?

This article also talked about offshore wind farms and some project that got cancelled.

But holy cow! It says 73,000 wind turbines in 44 states.

I'm really not sure what to think of this.

The Great plains are littered with them, It's nauseating. I believe the one's offshore of Martha's Vinyard are far enough offshore that the coastal elites don't have to look at them