The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma educators should be creating programs to train people to become turbine technicians as more wind power opportunities come to the state, a Texas energy official says.

The more than 12,000 megawatts of potential wind power and thousands of turbines needed to generate could lead to manufacturing jobs, such as the construction of poles, turbines and blades, but officials see a need for technicians to work on those wind turbines.

Ned Ross, director of regulatory affairs in the state for FPL Energy in Texas, said his company has struggled to find such workers.

Ross predicted the problem would become more acute as another 11,000 megawatts of wind power comes on line soon, joining the state’s existing 6,000 megawatts.

“It’s a relatively new business, and what we have been doing to meet our need is to retrain oil and natural gas professionals who have been looking for career changes,” Ross said.

The utility also has worked with Texas’ two-year college system to put together turbine technician programs, Ross said, adding that Oklahoma should develop similar training programs.

The programs could offer the possibility of jobs in rural areas and the work is steadier than what the oil and gas industry offers, Ross noted.

“They’ve gladly accepted these positions,” he said. “The jobs give them a way to live and stay in their small towns and make a good living.”

State officials say the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates the development of wind power will support 141,400 construction jobs and 395,800 operations, maintenance and manufacturing jobs as part of a $48 billion economy in the Southwest Power Pool an eight-state region including Oklahoma between 2007 and 2030.

Department of Commerce officials recognize it and are planning strategies to capture Oklahoma’s share, they said.

Part of the agency’s work involves Oklahoma’s CareerTech system, and colleges and universities, to create programs to train industry-certified wind energy technicians and research and development workers.

“Probably, training is going to be one of the big issues. We need to train technicians certified to work on these towers, and then Oklahoma needs to give them incentives to keep them in Oklahoma,” said LaVern Phillips, director of Woodward’s industrial foundation.

Phillips said Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a local career tech also are busy developing programs.