Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
County moves ahead with wind turbine study
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Several local governmental entities are moving ahead with a wind turbine feasibility study that will determine if the county is a viable location for a wind turbine.
Mark Jackson with the Interstate R C & D, writer of the grant, was on hand at the Mercer County Courthouse Nov. 17 to visit with the governmental bodies. Representatives from The Mercer County Board, Mercer County Hospital, Mercer County Nursing Home and the Aledo School District were present to discuss the future of their joint endeavor.
The collaboration was the beneficiary of a $14,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and will have the EAPC conduct the study. The EAPC has been the lead engineer in several other projects that have received approval to start building wind turbines.
The study should be completed in six to eight weeks. Computer models as well as archived data retrieved from the airport and local wind data will be used.
“It will take another month for them to get the report to us,” said Jackson. “They have from Nov. 1 until Oct. 31, 2007 to complete the test.”
The next step will be the financing to construct the tower.
The entities are looking at 2008 as the earliest the project would be completed and the tower up and functional.
The government entities use a combined 3.7 million kilowatt hours per year at an annual cost of $350,000. They feel the investment will pay for itself in 10 years. By then there will be well over $400,000 per year in savings.
The Bureau Valley School District put a wind turbine up two years ago and is already saving money. Bureau Valley started saving $40,000 per year as soon as the turbine was put up, according to Aledo School District superintendent Alan Boucher.
Since the hospital and nursing home operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it is anticipated they will save more money once it is up and running.
By Robert Blackford
GHM Group
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
(via Paypal) |
(via Stripe) |
Share: