Dec. 8, 2007: North Iowa Wind Turning ProfitsMedia Clip
Posted December 8th, 2007 by ElenaVelkov
North Iowa is poised for practical, financially viable wind power. The Messenger EAGLE GROVE — Iowa has the ability to produce a great deal of wind energy, but most of the existing wind turbines in the state are north of U.S. Highway 20. That’s because the wind is stronger in northern Iowa than in southern Iowa, according to Bill Haman, industrial program manager with Iowa Energy Center. Haman kicked off the Central Iowa Wind Energy Conference Friday morning at Memorial Hall with a presentation on the ‘‘nuts and bolts’’ of wind energy. Those nuts and bolts include these statistics: Iowa is the nation’s 10th windiest state and it ranks third in the nation in total wind energy generation behind Texas and California. When harnessing the wind to produce energy, said Haman, it is all about location. ‘‘It needs to be within a good wind regime with favorable terrain features and within close proximity to a utility grid,’’ Haman said. ‘‘The less ground turbulence, the shorter the turbine can be.’’ |
