Guest: James Tinjum, PE, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Distance Graduate Credit Programming, College of Engineering, UW-Madison
Wind is a renewable source of energy. Its motion – kinetic energy – can be captured in wind turbines to generate electricity. According to the U.S. Information Administration, as of 2014, the percentage of Wisconsin’s electrical consumption coming from in-state wind energy production was 2.6% in comparison to coal which was 61.3%. The sustainability of wind power, its benefits to the environment and public health as a clean energy source, plus its employment opportunities are the major reasons why there is growing interest in expanding wind energy’s geographical footprint.
On this program, we welcome James Tinjum who is responsible for continuing engineering education in the areas of energy geotechnics and environmental sustainability at UW-Madison. Dr. Tinjum describes how wind energy works and where Wisconsin ranks in policy and wind energy advancements compared to neighboring states. He also shares highlights and what he learned from his recent 1300-mile, four-state bike trip to meet firsthand with people living with wind energy in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.
For more details on James Tinjum’s “Bike the Wind” experience and the status of wind energy today, go to BiketheWind.wordpress.com.
