Two University of Windsor alumni at the forefront of Canada’s wind energy industry hope to drive economic and social change that will assist the country in its transition to a low-carbon economy.
“You’ll never run out of wind. Not only is the resource infinite, it’s free,” says political science grad Brandy Giannetta (BA 1998, MA 1999). “Wind energy is now the lowest-cost option for new electricity generation in Canada, and it can be deployed incrementally and quickly.”
Giannetta and fellow alum Phil McKay (BASc 2007, MASc 2011) champion wind energy growth nationwide in their roles at the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), a non-profit industry group whose members are involved in the development and application of wind energy technology, products, and services.
For the last six years, Giannetta has worked with original equipment manufacturers, wind project developers, owners, operators, and service providers as the association’s Ontario regional director.
“I always felt strongly about supporting industry and advocating on behalf of a bigger picture,” says Giannetta. “I’ve met so many people who are passionate about what they do and are environmentally conscious but also business-focused. They lead research to drive their mandate and I just loved everything about what they stood for.”
Learn about McKay’s role as the association’s operations and maintenance program director on the Windsor Engineering website. The full article is featured in the 2018 issue of Windsor Engineering (WE).