On a recent job prospecting trip, I attended the American Wind Energy Association's Wind Power 2009 Conference held in Chicago. The conference, which was marketed as the world's largest wind energy conference, set lofty expectations when it rented out the massive McCormick Convention Center to well over 1200 exhibitors representing every stage of the industry. On Tuesday morning, the first full day of the conference, I found myself overwhelmed by the hordes of energized job seekers, business partners, consultants and the curious who were milling around in eager anticipation of the conference's 9:30 opening. While initially feeling lost in a sea of business casual attire, my sense of isolation quickly parted as I realized that we were all here for a common cause, that we shared similar convictions and that we were motivated to seize the renewable opportunity in front of us. This sense of camaraderie pervaded McCormick Place and created a friendly and engaging atmosphere which facilitated interaction between attendees and exhibitors.

The initial morning rush gave way to a more tranquil session inside the exhibition hall which was lined wall to wall with company booths most of which displayed various props like wind turbines, generators, safety harnesses, 3D simulations and a multitude of related products. Aesthetically, the conference was very pleasing and it was exciting to look out across the indoor horizon and see a diverse and all-inclusive group of wind power services represented under one roof. By midday the convention center was filled to the brim and bustling with excitement over the crowds that had been drawn by this young and quickly expanding industry. My exhaustion from having spent the day pacing up and down scores of aisles was buoyed by the sheer thrill of participating in such a monumental event and I was fortunate to have covered almost half of the convention center in eight hours. Having talked with representatives of various companies I began to understand the promise held by this industry and its nearly limitless potential for expansion in the coming years. I reflected on some of the accomplishments made by this industry as well as the challenges it has faced and continues to face and I thought it all the more impressive that Wind Energy had played a sold out show to adoring fans in a 1.2 million square foot arena.

I returned to the Conference the next two days sporting my Build Baby Build button and am proud to say that it generated much discussion and attracted a lot of interest from other attendees. I was astounded by the breadth of exhibitors and recognized the capacity of this industry to create millions of jobs in many fields. As a job seeker, this impressed me most and reinforced my commitment to finding a career in renewable energy. Knowing just how vital a role renewable energy will play in addressing climate change along with issues of energy independence and national security, it was hard to not get excited about wind energy's future.  

With over 23,000 people attending Wind Power 2009, 14,000 people in 2008, and 7,000 in 2007, the trend is clear. There's energy in the air. Isn't it time we did something about it?