August 17, 2007
Ohio
Ohio
Bowling Green already has four wind turbines generating electricity – and has had them since 2003. Dozens more may be on the way, reports News 11’s Dick Berry.
The tall, twirling turbines are easy to spot along US 6 near the Wood County landfill. If everything falls into place, rows and rows of wind turbines could be in place by 2009. And Bowling Green could become “Blowing Green.”
Bowling Green and the company responsible for building the original four turbines are looking at adding another 33.
“Bowling Green and a number of other municipal electric utilities are looking at increasing the amount of renewable energy they use,” explains Kevin Maynard, BG’s utilities director.
The wind farm will generate 49 megawatts of power placed on an electric grid shared by members of a co-op in northern Ohio. Land for the turbines will be leased from local landowners.
“People around here are familiar with the wind turbines. It’s not an unknown to them. We believe people are more accepting of the renewable technology here,” says Maynard.
Both George Cole and and Eric Gray, Waterville zoning officials, are researching the placement of turbines in their community.
“I’ve just been to Europe. And they’re all over Europe and so I think we’re a little behind times,” said Cole.
“And it makes a lot of sense to use a resource that is already there rather than gas and all that sort of stuff,” said Gray.
Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) praises Bowling Green and says the area has the potential of becoming the Silicon Valley of alternative energy.
“It helps wean us from Middle Eastern oil. It helps with our trade deficit. It helps with the environment and job creation,” Brown said.
Word should come within six months if the wind farm is a go for a town some people now refer to as “Blowing Green.”
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/17/bowling-green-may-add-33-more-wind-turbines/