Lined up for the press event are Tom Travers, state Rep. Tom Letson, state Sen. Capri Cafaro, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, Mark Catello and David Dickey.

Jan. 19, 2010 6:21 a.m.
By George Nelson
CHAMPION TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- The Electrical Trades Institute of Northeast Ohio is one of only two training centers in Ohio where contractors will be trained in wind turbine installation through a recently announced federal program.

A dedication ceremony Monday marked the installation last year of a wind turbine and solar panel array at the training center, which is administered jointly by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 573 and the Mahoning Valley chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Frank S. Piatt, Eastern Region field representative for the contractors association, congratulated the Local 573 and the Valley NECA “for having the foresight to put this training center here.” The institute is one of the 19 Ohio training centers -- “not all of them as state-of-the-art,” he said -- where electrical contractors will be trained in energy efficiency and alternative energy through the recently announced Ohio Green Renewable Opportunities for Workers, or GROWs, project.

The training is funded by a $4.8 million grant provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Nine sites have been selected for solar panel training and only two for training in wind turbine technology, and the institute is one of those two. “So half the people in the state will be traveling to Warren to get the training. That says a lot for your community,” Piatt said.

Labor and management “has not always had the smoothest sailing, if you will,” acknowledged, Eric Davis, training director, but he added this building is a credit to cooperation between both. Since the equipment was installed at the center last year, 40 technicians have been trained in solar panel installation and 30 in wind turbine installation, he said.

David Dickey, president of Joe Dickey Electric Inc. in North Lima and governor of the Mahoning Valley NECA chapter, said he is excited about the new technology at the training center. “We need trained people – and we do have trained people,” he said, urging reporters covering the event to let the public know that area contractors can install solar panels and wind turbines.

The wind and solar equipment, purchased with a $50,000 contribution from the Raymond J. Wean Foundation, also serves to show the viability of the technology. At peak capacity, the model wind turbine and solar panel array generate about 10% of the building’s power, said Mark Catello, business manager, IBEW Local 573.

That’s resulted in nearly a ton less of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, Davis said. “We’re very proud of that,” he remarked. “Don’t let them tell you it doesn’t work here.”

The training center fits into a “green corridor” along Mahoning Avenue heading into downtown Warren, where an alternative energy incubator is being developed, said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio. “We’ve clearly decided this is going to be our path forward,” he said

Ryan pointed to opportunities for local companies to become involved in the industry. Wind turbines have some 8,000 components, he said, and use 400 tons of steel. “There are so many opportunities for our manufacturing base to plug into,” he said. “We’ve lost local manufacturing. This is going to revitalize it.”

While there are some incentives for companies to install alternative energy and energy-efficient technologies, and Youngstown State University is partnering with area firms “to figure out the latest and greatest technology,” the main incentive for business to adopt the new energy technologies is that they are going to save money, Ryan said.

“You’re seeing companies now like Walmart, Home Depot and Costco working with management companies to save them 20% to 25%” on energy costs, he explained. “That’s more money that’s freed to pay wages, to pay health care, to reinvest back in your company.”

State Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-32, congratulated IBEW and NECA for being “innovative and forward-thinking in regards to the utilization of alternative and green technologies to catapult our work force into the 21st century.” She also pointed out that the state has passed legislation establishing a renewable portfolio standard that requires power companies to generate a portion of their energy from renewable sources.

Copyright 2010 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.