May 5, 2008

Conference to highlight wind's economic potential in the state

Sponsored by the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development and the Energy Center at Purdue University's Discovery Park, the conference will raise awareness of opportunities for wind power in Indiana.

"Most of northern Indiana is well-situated for the location of wind farms," said Jimmy Bricker, Purdue Extension director in Benton County. "That's because upper-level wind speeds are high enough to make operating the turbines profitable."

Bricker co-wrote Benton County's ordinance for zoning wind farms and organized a panel for the conference to discuss how the wind farm project came together. When completed this year, the Benton County Wind Farm will have 135 operating towers. Annual lease payments of $500,000 will be split among 70 landowners.

"That's money that otherwise would not come into this county," Bricker said. "This is a good economic development project for a rural area like Benton County."

In 2009 Benton County will begin another larger wind farm project that will generate an extra $2 million in annual income. The county also benefits from jobs created for the construction and operation of the turbines.

Other topics to be discussed during the conference include an overview of the state's electricity landscape, power perspectives from the utilities standpoint and Indiana's capacity for the manufacture of wind turbines.

Optional tours of Indiana wind facilities will be offered on the second day. One will be the Benton County Wind Farm project near Earl Park, and the other will be a small wind installation just now being constructed at a business near Indianapolis.

Conference registration is $100 for both days and $85 for students. Lunch, a reception and tours are included. Additional information is available online at http://www.energy.IN.gov. Registration is available online at http://www.conf.purdue.edu/wind  or by calling Kathy Walters at Purdue Conferences at (765) 494-2758. For more information on program content, contact Eric Burch, communications director for the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development, at (317) 232-8944, eburch@oed.IN.gov

Writer: Beth Forbes (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu

Sources: Jimmy Bricker, (765) 884-0140, bricker@purdue.edu

Eric Burch, (317) 232-8944, eburch@oed.IN.gov

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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