Metal components make up nearly 90% of the weight and over one-third of the value of a modern wind turbine1. The wind industry installed over 5,000 commercial-scale wind turbines in 20082, which translates into 15,000 tower sections, 2.4 million bolts and 27,000 miles of rebar in the turbine foundations3. The industry saw an investment in wind turbine equipment in the U.S. of over $8.5 billion in 2008 -- which translates into a $3 billion industry for steel or cast iron components -- and the annual demand is projected to double during the next few decades as the industry ramps up to produce a larger share of the nation’s electricity.