By Haley Walker
Walkerh4@msu.edu
Great Lakes Echo
Sept. 18, 2009
More than three-quarters of the women in a recent survey said they pay the electric bills in their households.
…who pay household electricity bills – 77 percent
…willing to pay $30 more a month for clean energy – 53 percent
…who have conserved electricity – 97 percent
Source: Women’s Survey on Energy and the Environment
Almost all of them said they felt obligated to reduce electricity use. And more than half were willing to spend $30 more on electricity bills for clean energy, according to the June survey by the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment and another group, Women Impacting Public Policy.
But while the survey shows women to be the primary energy watchers in their homes, relatively few have been as involved in the production side of things.
That is changing as women become an increasing presence in the industry and groups sprout up to support them.
Katherine Roek, an environmental attorney who chairs the Minnesota chapter of Women of Wind Energy, believes the group is necessary in a male-dominated industry.
“There’s always the joke that men do have their networking group and it’s called the entire industry,” said Roek, whose chapter has 120 members. “I just think we have all these amazing, strong women; It’s a great opportunity to come together.”
Women’s increasing presence in energy fields is part of a wider trend, said Rebecca Black, who chairs the group’s Canadian chapter.
“If you look at engineering schools, the number of women have been growing every year,” she said. “The role of women is growing, just as industries are.”
The wind energy group was established in 2005. Since then, it has grown to 500 members. Chapters are in Canada and 22 states, including seven Great Lake states.
And that’s not the only organization representing women in power in power industries. The Women’s Energy Network with more than 700 members in Texas and Louisiana seeks to help women network in all energy sectors.
Ann Vandenberg, co-founder of the North Texas chapter of that organization, has seen significant improvement since she entered the industry in 1982. “I think it has definitely gotten better, there are a lot of women who have been able to reach leadership positions,” Vandenberg said.
“Our industry is mostly male dominated, but it has certainly improved over the years,” she said.
Michigan’s chapter of the Women of Wind Energy group has grown by 200 members since its first meeting in June.
“Women are a huge part of this industry,” said Christine Battiste, who chairs the chapter. “There is now a level playing field that we never used to have.”