Jackson man driving truck across U.S. for GE tour of wind blade

A General Electric wind blade is making its way across the United States on a Jackson man's truck.

Since late April, Chris Lewis has transported the 131-foot blade in the bed of his 1999 Peterbilt truck. The blade is part of the 28-day GE Capture the Wind Tour.

The tour allows people at each stop to touch and see the blade and learn more about using wind power as an energy source.

Lewis is transporting the blade on a 2,436-mile journey that will take him through nine states. The tour started in Aberdeen, S.D., and will end May 23 at the American Wind Energy Association conference in Dallas. Stops include a clean air fair in Columbus, Ohio, a wind blade manufacturing plant in Gainesville, Texas, and an event at the Louisville, Ky., zoo.

Lewis said countless signatures cover the white blade.

"Though I don't have a count on the amount of signatures, it's a traveling petition for promoting clean energy," Lewis said. "In the upper Midwest the general public sees the blades so much that they're used to it, but with so many signatures it's gotten a good amount of attention wherever it makes a stop or is traveling.

"People stop me and ask all the time about the wind blade," Lewis said. "It's doing its job by getting the public's interest piqued."

When not driving or working at a tour stop, Lewis said, he sightsees or relaxes in his truck, which is equipped with a television, computer, refrigerator and large bed.

Lewis, 44, entered the trucking profession when he was 18. Years spent working around farm equipment and machinery on his grandfather's cattle farm in Jackson prompted his interest in pursuing a career in truck driving.

After spending a couple of years in college pursing an agriculture degree and managing Lutesville Pallet Co. in Marble Hill, Mo., Lewis eventually purchased his own fleet of trucks and today has three trucks, four wind blade trailers and several other pieces of trucking equipment he uses when transporting goods for companies such as GE.

"I've always been driven to carry challenging and interesting loads," Lewis said. "Plus, I love machinery and get lots of satisfaction by working on projects such as the GE tour. I've had ambitions to undertake such tours and am looking forward to more opportunities yet to come."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

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