Georgia's leaders are hoping to capitalize on the state's nascent manufacturing industry for wind power when 200 international wind energy exhibitors come to Atlanta next week.

The state already is home to more than a dozen companies that make components that either go into wind turbines or that assist in building them. Such development has been a way for Georgia and the Southeast to capitalize on the wind energy industry even though the state lacks a steady wind needed for the giant turbines to spin constantly and create electricity.

"It's ... to have some visibility in the industry and to let those industry players know that this is an industry that's important to Georgia, that it is on our radar screen, and it's one of our targeted industries," said Tom Croteau, director of the Economic Development Department's food, energy, logistics and agribusiness projects division.