25 JUNE 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVINGTHECONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry Wind Farms & HDD - What’s the Connection? Compiled by Carol C. Schimpf, Editorial Assistant, WorldWide Drilling Resource® According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than 23 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbine generating capacity came online in the U.S. in 2020, with Texas leading the way. By 2050, the total wind capacity across 48 states is projected to be 404.25 GW, which will be an increase of 290.81 GW since 2020. What does this mean for our future? More clean, renewable energy sources, probably using the services of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) companies due to their low environmental impact. How? “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.” ~ Bob Dylan HDD is a minimum impact, trenchless method of installing underground cables, using a surface-launched drill rig, which reduces the impact to people, wildlife, and the environment. It also removes the need to interface with existing utility infrastructure, such as water and gas pipelines. Cables pulled through these pipelines deliver the power generated by wind farms, DIR Photo courtesy of Francesco Miceli. Wind Farms cont’d on page 28.
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