World's Largest Annual Wind Energy Event, WINDPOWER 2011 Conference & Exhibition, Kicks off in Anaheim, Calif.

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ANAHEIM, CA - May 23, 2011: WINDPOWER 2011 Conference & Exhibition kicks off from Anaheim today, with nearly 20,000 wind industry leaders, government officials and business executives converging from May 22-25 for the world’s largest annual wind power trade show. Hosted by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) at the Anaheim Convention Center, the conference returns to the state where it all began, and for good reason: California, which set the modern wind energy industry in motion back in the 1980s, is once again taking a leadership role, recently setting the strongest renewable target in the U.S. - 33 percent renewables by 2020 - and thereby demanding more clean, affordable, and homegrown energy.

Media availabilities at WINDPOWER 2011 feature government and industry leaders such as Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (R), Vic Abate, VP of Renewables for GE Energy, and Rick Needham, Director of Green Business Operations and Strategy at Google. The conference program also includes influential visionaries such as CNN Founder Ted Turner.

The vast show floor will feature nearly 1,200 exhibiting companies, including wind power plant developers, turbine manufacturers and the full range of supply chain manufacturers and service providers, such as GE Energy, NRG Systems, Siemens and Shermco Industries.

"We're excited to bring the world's biggest wind energy trade show to California because this is a state that understands how sound policies create the local jobs and manufacturing base that go with renewable energy," said Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA. "California is a shining example of the pioneers who blazed the trail for a new way to make electricity, and WINDPOWER is an awesome demonstration of the size and scope that our great industry has reached."

WINDPOWER 2011 partner organizations include the California Wind Energy Association, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), Great Lakes Wind Network, and others.

The United States is a world leader in wind energy with 41,400 megawatts of installed capacity - enough clean energy to supply electricity to over 10 million American homes. America's wind power industry continues to grow. In 2010 alone, U.S. wind energy grew by 15%, and generating capacity under construction at the start of the second quarter of 2011 was twice what it was then in 2009 and 2010.

For more information visit http://www.windpowerexpo.org.

AWEA is the national trade association of America's wind industry, with more than 2,500 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world's largest wind power trade show. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA Web site.