KEYSER – Clearway Energy Group has hired five recent graduates of the Wind Energy Technology program at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College in Moorefield.

The five new wind technologies will support the operations and maintenance of Clearway’s new 115-megawatt Black Rock wind farm near Elk Garden and its 54-megawatt Pinnacle wind farm near Keyser. Pinnacle was re-engineered only this year with new turbine technology.

With Clearway’s 240-megawatt Mount Storm Wind Farm, Clearway is now the largest owner-operator of wind farms in Mountain State, investing nearly $ 460 million this year alone.

The five new Clearway wind technologies are:

• Andrew Cosner, 20, from Petersburg

• Ian Guckavan, 22, from Moorefield

• Austin Locklear, 22, from Petersburg

• Logan Reel, 24, from Keyser

• Tyler Simmons, 21, of Keyser

“We are delighted to welcome five new Wind Technicians to the Clearway family who have been hired right here in the local community,” said Doug Vance, Clearway Plant Manager for Black Rock and Pinnacle.

“Our wind farms do more than just power homes and businesses, they are also economic engines for the region, creating hundreds of construction jobs as well as long-term operating jobs. Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College has been a great partner for Clearway and we look forward to expanding this partnership with an apprenticeship program next spring.

One of the new wind technologies, Logan Reel, was hired as part of Clearway’s West Virginia Wind Power Learning Program, which helps displaced workers in the coal industry (as well as members of the their families) to find new employment opportunities in renewable energies.

“I grew up watching wind turbines on the mountains in the area and found them inspiring,” said Reel, who grew up in Moorefield. “Wind turbines are a step in the right direction towards a better future. Working in renewable energy has given me the opportunity to be part of something bigger than me.

Eastern offers a two-year associate’s degree in applied science as well as a one-year certificate option for students wishing to work in the renewable energy sector. Students in the Wind Energy Technology program acquire the skills to maintain and troubleshoot modern wind power generation equipment while also gaining the basic knowledge necessary to advance their careers in the field of power generation. Eastern has also designed its programs to comply with all American Clean Power Association (ACPA) standards and to capitalize on West Virginia’s position as a new leader in the wind industry.

“We are delighted that Clearway has chosen to partner with Eastern and deepen its roots in Mountain State,” said Curtis Hakala, Dean of Teaching and Learning at Eastern. “As West Virginia continues to diversify and strengthen its economy, it is great to be able to offer programs that provide students with the tools to work in this innovation industry and help them find high paying jobs near from their house. “