The World Wind Energy Association presented its 2008 World Wind Energy Award to Paul Gipe at its 7th annual conference. The trade association also elected Gipe to its board of directors.
Gipe shared the award with internationally recognized renewable energy pioneers Preben Maegaard and Jane Kruse.
“It’s an honor to share the award with Preben and Jane,” said Gipe. “They share my values and my vision of the role wind energy can play in society and of how wind energy can be used in harmony with the environment and the communities of which it is a part.”
The conference, co-organized by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and St. Lawrence College, more than 800 delegates. Attendees came from across the globe, including participants from the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The World Wind Energy Association was formed in 2001 and its board of directors reflects a broad diversity of nations. Gipe is the first WWEA director elected from the United States.
The conference in Kingston, Ontario was the first international conference on the theme of community wind power development. The conference was also the first to explore how renewable energy payments, or feed-in tariffs, can be used to promote community ownership of renewable energy generation.
Feed-in tariffs have been successfully used in Europe to rapidly develop renewable energy by enabling homeowners, farmers, and small businesses to profitably invest in their communities.
Ontario was selected for the 2008 conference because it was the first North American jurisdiction to implement feed-in tariffs.
