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First US Town Powered Solely by Wind

By Andrea Thompson,
LiveScience.com
Posted: 2008-07-16 08:11:51
Filed Under: Nation News
LiveScience.com


(July 15) - Rock Port, Mo., has an unusual crop: wind turbines.

The four turbines that supply electricity to the small town of 1,300 residents make it the first community in the United States to operate solely on wind power.

Wind turbines in Missouri
Steve Morse, MU Cooperative Media Group / LiveScience.com

Missouri's turbines will provide electric service for at least 20 years, the expected lifetime of the wind-to-power devices.

"That's something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this — that we're doing our part for the environment," said Jim Crawford, a natural resource engineer at the University of Missouri Extension in Columbia.

A map published by the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that northwest Missouri has the state's highest concentrations of wind resources and contains a number of locations that are potentially suitable for utility-scale wind development. The four turbines that power Rock Port are part of a larger set of 75 turbines across three counties that are used to harvest the power of wind.

"We're farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," Crawford said. "The payback on a per-acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it's as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."

And the turbines have another benefit besides produces clean energy: MU Extension specialists said that the Missouri wind farms will bring in more than $1.1 million annually in county real estate taxes, to be paid by Wind Capital Group, a wind energy developer based in St. Louis.

"This is a unique situation because in rural areas it is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues," said Jerry Baker, and MU Extension community development specialist.

Landowners can also benefit by leasing part of their property for wind turbines.

The turbines will also provide savings to rural electric companies and will provide electric service for at least 20 years, the anticipated lifetime of the turbines.

"Anybody who is currently using Rock Port utilities can expect no increase in rates for the next 15 to 20 years," Crawford said.

Baker added that the turbines could also attract tourists to the area.

(c) 1999-2007 Imaginova Corp. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2008-07-15 16:46:42
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 1051
1051 comments

davewickham5 12:26:07 AM Jul 17 2008

what, no a bubblin crude, no bekken valley shale, tok'em if ya gottem

a2shedsjackson 09:07:56 PM Jul 16 2008

ultraclen2 07:29:15 PM Jul 16 2008 Report This! so what? big smear...... who cares.... what if.... and all that....does the wind drive their cars? now that would be progress!>>>>>>>..THEY WOULD PRODUCE LOW COST ELECTRIC TO RECHARGE BATTERIES OF ELECTRIC CARS. THATS PROGRESS !

a2shedsjackson 08:55:43 PM Jul 16 2008

wweronko 07:13:23 PM Jul 16 2008 Report This! One nuclear power plant produces more power then all the wind farms in California at a third of the cost.>>>>>>>>>>>.BUT WINDFARMS DON`T PRODUCE NUCLEAR WASTE PRODUCTS THAT COST 100 TIMES OVER TO DISPOSE OF "PROPERLY"

ultraclen2 07:29:15 PM Jul 16 2008

so what? big smear...... who cares.... what if.... and all that....does the wind drive their cars? now that would be progress!

wweronko 07:13:23 PM Jul 16 2008

One nuclear power plant produces more power then all the wind farms in California at a third of the cost.

txpapa 07:00:44 PM Jul 16 2008

mdnman3431 06:45:43 PM Jul 16 2008 paradigm1 You must be to youg to remeber but Regan tried this years ago to get wind powered tubines but was shot down liberals I think it was, he even said that the power company's would have to buy back the excess power*****************************************paradigm1 doesn't care about any of this, he/she (I don't know which) is just a hate Bush in spite of anything Liberal radical. Attempting to reason with a person like that is like attempting to reason with a suicidal Islamist terrorist. The smile at you as they push the button.

jimbobmpls 06:45:57 PM Jul 16 2008

There is no moratorium on windfarms in California. Typical Repugantan lies.

mdnman3431 06:45:43 PM Jul 16 2008

paradigm1 You must be to youg to remeber but Regan tried this years ago to get wind powered tubines but was shot down liberals I think it was, he even said that the power company's would have to buy back the excess power

chattanoogadog 06:29:41 PM Jul 16 2008

Heresw my thought.....just put up 1 Trubine in front of ever Taco Bell or Mexican rest. Power for life.......brought to you by the makers of Beano!!!!!!

paradigm1 05:49:16 PM Jul 16 2008

Thats awesome. Too bad the U.S would rather spend 12 billion a month in Iraq, than investing in such projects in the USA. Thank you G.O.P.marqu1820 05:44:02 PM Jul 16 2008 Report This! Today's publication on British Paper The Guardian...The company is one of several racing to build commercial-scale floating wind turbines that sit in deep water far from land. These turbines benefit from more powerful winds and avoid many of the issues that afflict existing wind farms.Neal Bastick, head of Blue H, said the Italian prototype would be "virtually invisible" from the shore, and that the company plans to build a full scale floating 90 megawatt wind farm in the region. Blue H also wants to build them off Scotland and the northeast US.

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