Wind creates new jobs in Europe

EUROPEAN UNION - A report from the European Wind Energy Association suggests wind could create more than a quarter of a million jobs by 2020.

The report found the wind energy sector has created 33 new jobs every day for the past five years for a total of 154,000 jobs.

If wind energy generation continues to increase at the same rate, jobs in wind energy could more than double to 325,000 by 2020.

In 2007 wind energy increased more than any other form of power generation in the European Union.

Most of the jobs were found in Denmark, Germany and Spain at turbine manufacturers, the report suggests, though jobs in France, Britain and Italy are gradually increasing.

"Twenty (percent) to 30 percent of the 1,000 employees at our Belgium site are engaged on long-term wind energy projects," said Francis Robberechts, vice president of CG Power EMEA.