Blade runners: GE’s wind blade breezes into town

It’s been a long haul from its Iowa factory to upstate New York, but GE’s giant wind blade — which turned a lot of heads and sparked loads of curiosity about wind energy — has finished its 1,000-mile road trip. Now on permanent display at GE’s renewable energy center in Schenectady, the blade is there to symbolize the critical role that wind plays in GE’s business — and in the nation’s energy future. As Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told us at the Iowa kick-off, he’s a fan of wind because it’s “good for the environment,” it’s “good for good-paying jobs,” and it’s “good for national security — you’re less dependent on foreign sources of energy.” It’s a theme that was echoed by the people driver Chris Lewis of Landstar Ranger trucking met along the way. He’s been updating us during the entire trip, from the launch event to tight squeezes under highway bridges. In our final video, Chris delivers his half-a-football-field-long traveling buddy.

* Watch a video in Part 1 of our “Blade Runners” series
* See an audio slide show in Part 2 of our “Blade Runners” series
* Read “GE’s giant wind turbines set to debut in Sweden”
* Watch a video of a GE turbine going on a mountain climb
* Learn details about GE’s wind turbines
* Learn technical details about GE’s wind turbines
* Learn more about the wind industry at the American Wind Energy Association

It’s the start of the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., so we’ll see you again on Tuesday. (Besides, given all of our blade talk, we certainly don’t want to be long-winded.) Have a great holiday!