Three things we learned from Top 100 Power People 2017

We are looking forward to publishing our sixth annual Top 100 Power People report next week, on Tuesday 14th November, in association with Sentient Science.

This is the definitive ranking of the 100 most influential players in the global wind industry, and this year features 36 new entrants and an unexpected number one. You’ll have to get a copy to find out who that is!

One of the most interesting elements for us in putting together the report each year is how the composition of the final 100 reflects ongoing changes in the market. For example, this year’s list has been heavily influenced by important industry trends, including wind’s reaction to the election of Donald Trump as US president; the move to competitive tenders in markets including Germany and Spain; the plummeting cost of offshore wind power; and the emergence of floating turbine technology.

Ahead of the launch, here are three things we learned from this year’s report:

• This year, growth in the US has been of crucial importance for the industry globally. Over half of the top 100 individuals operate in North America as one of their two main markets and, for the first time, we have an American number one. These individuals and their companies are playing a vital role in driving the market forward despite uncertainty after the election of President Trump. However, with the release of a tax reform bill by Republicans in the US House of Representatives last week, the wind production tax credit is facing a new threat. We will watch closely whether this US momentum continues in 2018.

• More than half of the individuals featured are involved in offshore wind, either exclusively or as part of their role. This reflects continued confidence in offshore wind and how rapidly falling costs this year are making it mainstream.We have also outlined some of the biggest areas of potential for offshore wind globally, particularly in the nascent US and Taiwanese markets.

• New technology trends are changing the face of the industry. Ward Thomas, CEO of our report sponsor Sentient Science, has spoken to us about how combining big data with materials science could make wind 13% cheaper. And we also interviewed Jens Tommerup, CEO of MHI Vestas, about his ambitions for scaling up wind turbines to make them larger, more powerful and efficient.

In addition, we have interviews with Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO at E.On Climate & Renewables; and David Giordano, head of renewable power in the Americas and Asia-Pacific for BlackRock. These contain key insights into the global wind market.

Existing members will be able to download the report on 14th November. If you are not yet a member, you’ll be able to purchase the report here, or alternately, why not investigate membership options?