June 7, 2012
New York

Going green: Children’s Museum uses wind power

By LAUREN LEWIS, Observer Dispatch | www.uticaod.com 7 June 2012

UTICA – The roof of the Children’s Museum now hosts a wind turbine and the museum held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the beginning of a greener future.

“It’s exciting!” Museum Director Marlene Brown said. “One turbine is capable of producing up to 1,500 kilowatts of clean energy annually.”

Brown also said a second turbine is planned.

City Mayor Rob Palmieri and Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, joined Brown at the museum to support the project and its benefits for the museum.

The turbine will not only cut down the utility bill, but any excess energy produced will go back to National Grid and will reduce the museum’s bill even further.

“We hope to get little kids excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) projects at a young age, and that (excitement) is going to stay with them,” Brown said.

Brown also plans to get create a PowerPoint presentation that will play on the third floor of the museum and teach visitors more about wind turbines.

Other plans for the museum’s future include an interactive Erie Canal exhibit, and a STEM planetarium. Brown envisions a 40-foot by 50-foot room with white boards and smart boards and chairs in the center of the room that will tilt back.

“The lights will dim and everyone will look up at a huge planetarium,” Brown said.

The Children’s Museum is open Monday, Thursday and Saturday from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/07/going-green-childrens-museum-uses-wind-power/