For those of you having lived in Oklahoma for more than a couple of weeks, you know the "Okie" mantra: If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a minute. In all my 35 years as a resident of Oklahoma I've never heard of a highschool baseball game cancelled due to wind. Until yesterday! There were no storms on the horizon, nor tornados brewing, it was just good 'ol Oklahoma wind. The kind that'll whip your hair around and smack ya with it! The kind that'll convince you to never again forget to check with Gary England before donning an adorable skirt, lest it be reduced to an accessory around your neck!

Fortunately, there's a silver lining of green in that wind. Energy leaders from Oklahoma are on a mission to bring wind power projects to our state. Oklahoma plans to position itself as a producer of equipment to generate electricity from wind as well as a research hub,and potentially create 18,000 jobs by 2019 according to Secretary of Commerce and Tourism, Natalie Shirley.



The next time you feel the need to wear lead weights in your shoes to combat the wind, try to remember that it's a gift we can use as a resource for energy which translates to a projected $1.48 billion in total personal added income for Oklahomans from the wind industry cluster alone!

Labels: Gary England, jobs, wind, wind energy