(male narrator)
The wind in wide-open
Wyoming can be brutal,
but instead of cursing it,
power companies
are harnessing
this nearly constant
supply of clean energy.
(male)
As wind farms
grow and expand,
they need trained technicians
who understand
the particulars about why
this turbine does what it does.
Run the studs
all the way in,
then get nuts
and alternate them.
(narrator)
With help from the
National Science Foundation,
Laramie County Community
College in Cheyenne
has expanded
its technical training
with a program
in wind energy.
Program director John Lamorie
says there's heavy focus
on safety and teamwork,
like these drills.
(John Lamorie)
Brent's gonna perform
a ladder rescue
on an injured victim
on the ladder.
Brandon will demonstrate
self-evacuation
in the event
of a fire,
where you must escape rapidly
and you can't return inside.
It's very exciting,
because you know
you could be doing this
to save somebody.
(narrator)
Students are tested early on
to see if they can handle
300-foot heights.
Two weeks into the program,
coming to the windfarm,
the students wear their
personal protective equipment
and climb turbines
for the first time.
If they're motivated
afterwards, they like it.
(narrator)
Wind power adds energy
flexibility to a state
already known for coal
and oil resources.
(Doug Cook)
We think that with
the federal government's push
on renewable and alternative
energy sources,
we have an opportunity
to help our citizens understand
what wind energy
means to the state.
(narrator)
In the United States,
renewable energy has been
at the mercy
of changing political winds.
But nontraditional students
believe this
is a career
with a future.
Once laid off, I had to decide
what I wanted
and what will be a business
that's still gonna be around,
because much
of high tech has moved.
It was part of a government
retraining program.
I love climbing things,
so when this job started,
I thought...
what better workplace
than 300 feet off the ground.
(narrator)
With students
from across the country
and a waiting list
for enrollment,
things may be looking up
for wind power.
For Science Nation,
I'm Miles O' Brien.
