The Windustry Board of Directors, along with this year’s community wind peer group, is pleased to announce Dan Juhl, chairman and CEO of Juhl Wind, Inc., as the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Service in Community Wind Award. The award was presented at the Community Wind Work Group meeting at the American Wind Energy Association Windpower 2012 conference in Atlanta on June 5.

The award is given to a person who has made a contribution to the establishment and growth of community wind as a uniquely valuable form of clean, renewable energy.

“Developing a wind project is not easy on any level,” said Windustry Executive Director Lisa Daniels. “Blazing the trail for the community wind market adds that much more complexity. Dan has had an unwavering commitment to community wind in the face of huge challenges. Thank goodness Dan has never understood the word ‘no.’”

Juhl was chosen because of his 30-plus years of pioneering work, creative vision, and bold leadership. According to the Juhl Wind, Inc., website, Juhl has developed 1,500 megawatts of wind generation and has advocated community-based wind development before numerous state and federal government bodies. He is co-author of, “Harvesting Wind Energy as a Cash Crop,” (2002) and has a long history of working with different size turbines and adapting business models, such as the Minnesota flip. He has worked with many rural citizens to put wind projects in the ground.  “I appreciate the acknowledgement of my work over the years,” Juhl said.

Larry Flowers, AWEA Deputy Director of Distributed and Community Wind, said Juhl is a community wind pioneer in every sense of the word.  “He figured out how to put the financing, local ownership, and incentives pieces together to make projects work in an ever-changing policy environment,” Flowers said. “From the MN-flip to CBED to REAP, he led the way in Minnesota, and his experiences became the models we all used to implement community wind around the country.”

This is the second year the Distinguished Service in Community Wind Award has been presented. Recipients of the award must 1.) possess outstanding dedication, excellence, or achievement; 2.) have worked many years to further the goals of community wind and distributed renewable energy; 3.) be an exemplary professional and a mentor for others; 4.) be regarded as a creative leader in his/her professional field; and 5.) embody methods of practice and aspects of being that we aspire to ourselves.

The Windustry Board of Directors thanks the 2012 community wind peer group for the colleague nominations and selections for the awards. The 2012 Community Wind Peer Group participants were Flowers, AWEA; Daniels, Windustry; Tom Wind, Wind Utility Associates; Kevin Schulte, Sustainable Energy Developments; and Jacob Susman, OwnEnergy.