See below for video of Chris Brown of Vestas, keynoting the opening session on day two of WINDPOWER 2017, concluding today in Anaheim, CA. According to Brown, who is completing his tenure as Chair of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the next five years will be the "best five years of your life" for the wind power industry. Brown adds: "So along with the success that we've been having, if you've become afraid, then I say good! Welcome to life as an energy industry disruptor." And Brown notes that "critics criticize...but ask yourself, why do those critics pay attention to us? Because we're a threat, because we're winning." A few more quotes from Brown's excellent speech:
- Accepting the PTC phasedown was a "bold, visionary decision based on the belief that we could compete on a level playing field, that we could compete on cost."
- "The last 12 record-breaking months have proved that we're delivering on that fundamental proposition and our vision of low-cost power to consumers. However, our success has attracted some detractors, who now want politicians to take away that grand bargain that we made...the detractors want to focus on fear as a tactic. We have a successful strategy, they just have tactics."
- "Fear is fine, it's a necessary part of winning, but don't let fear distract you...Our future is not about fear, it's about opportunity."
- "While we're walking down that ladder of policy support, incumbent energy sources still sit on that fat subsidy couch...Let markets work, not ideology."
- "Let's figure out how to work environmental state and federal policy together...Maybe we should be taxing pollution and investing in infrastructure, carbon free."
- "Let's face reality: wind does not affect reliability. ISOs around the world are reliably integrating record levels of wind, and they're doing it here. Let's not make the claim that we can't do the same."
- "And here's my challenge to you: don't be distracted by fear. Seize the opportunities that our success has created. Stay focused on the vision that we've set for our industry. I'm not afraid of competition..."
- "I've been honored to be your chairman for the last 12 months...but I'm not going anywhere. This industry is just getting started. The next five years are going to be the best we've ever seen.
