Wind Developers Endeavor to Make Ohio Leader in Wind Power

Ohio has even greater wind potential than researchers initially believed. Wind maps created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory show that Ohio’s wind power potential exceeds 66,000 megwatts of on-shore resources.

Wind energy is the world’s fastest growing energy resource. In use for centuries in Europe, wind is now finding increasing use in the United States and other nations. Wind turbines, both large and small, produce electricity for utilities, homeowners, and communities.

In early 2006 Green Energy Ohio (GEO) announced the introduction of the Ohio Anemometer Loan Program (ALP). GEO in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has designed this program to help promote the development of wind power in Ohio.

Under the Ohio ALP, qualified applicants can borrow all the equipment necessary to conduct a wind study, including a temporary meteorological tower, data logger and instrumentation. Study services, such as site inspection, equipment installation, data validation and program management will be provided at no cost through GEO’s ongoing wind resource assessment program, Monitoring Ohio Wind (MOHW). Both 20-meter and 50-meter meteorological towers are available through the program to support both large scale and small-scale projects. At the conclusion of the 12 month study, ALP Site Sponsors will have data that can be used to accurately calculate the electrical power that could be generated from either small or large scale wind turbines at the monitoring site.

The Ohio Wind Working Group is a forum on wind energy development information in the State of Ohio. Drawing from the manufacturing, government, development and research sectors, as well as local landowners. OWWG members work collaboratively to address obstacles in wind energy development and educate the public on the benefits of wind energy. OWWG is funded through the United States Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America Program. RESOLVE, a non-profit environmental dispute resolution organization, provides a full range of facilitation services to OWWG.

Ohioans have a responsibility to find a practical solution for clean, renewable energy to avoid further environmental damage and secure the State’s energy future. The Ohio Wind Working Group believes wind development is that solution. Click the above web page link for more information on all aspects of wind energy!

www.ohiowind.org/

www.development.ohio.gov/cdd/oee/RE_wind.htm