Massive Oklahoma wind farm previews future trends

We know wind energy is climate friendly. But market economics also show wind is also becoming one of the cheapest energy sources to produce.

The new $4.5 billion Oklahoma project called the “Wind Catcher Energy Connection” is expected to be complete by 2020. When finished it will generate 9 million megawatt hours of wind power. That’s enough to power about 800,000 homes.

This project could become the biggest in the nation. It's part of an emerging trend toward giant wind farms. I asked Fresh Energy’s Science Policy Director J. Drake Hamilton why we’re seeing a trend toward bigger wind projects in this week's Climate Cast.

So just how big is the impact of all these big wind energy projects on jobs? The fastest growing job category in the U.S. is now “wind energy technician." The American Wind Energy Association says 14,000 wind jobs were added last year.

Wind now employs more than 100,000 workers in the U.S.