Another Successful, Windy Groundbreaking!
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 09:53AM by Catherine Hart
Event speakers are the first to sign one of the turbine blades
“100% renewable energy, 100% of the time” has been the vision for Greensburg since just after the storm. How could Greensburg lay claim to the mantle of America’s model green community without being powered by renewable energy?
At Friday’s groundbreaking for the Greensburg Wind Farm, the folks gathered under the tent on an appropriately windy day (gusts up to 35 m.p.h.) heard speaker after speaker praise local leadership for having the vision and foresight to pursue the dream of a town powered by the wind. People from all over the country gathered at the site south of Greensburg to be a part of this auspicious occasion. There were John Deere Wind Energy representatives from Iowa, Native Energy and Green Mountain Coffee people from Vermont, and Aveda folks from Minneapolis. Suzlon (manufacturer of the wind turbines and folks that will be managing day-to-day operations) sent two of its people, the US Department of Energy was represented by people from Washington, D.C. and its National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, and USDA-Rural Development had both Kansas representatives and people from the federal level. The Kansas delegation included our Lt. Governor and State Treasurer, and people from the Kansas Power Pool.
Many local people who have been instrumental in the decision-making process were in attendance as well. It was a very exciting day for all, attended by people of all ages. We were particularly pleased to see so many students in the audience. It is inspiring to see what’s possible when so many people put their energy into a project of this scale.
Greensburg GreenTown leaves our mark to celebrate the occasion
A highlight of the event was the invitation to sign one of the giant turbine blades (in green marker, of course). All of the signers felt even more a part of history by being able to do so. The film crew from Planet Green was back in town for the occasion, covering their first story for season three of the “Greensburg” TV series.
After hearing from the speakers, guests were invited to partake in a delicious lunch prepared by local caterer Anita Friesen and her crew from Cannonball Catering.
It is anticipated that the Wind Farm will be operational in March 2010.
Reader Comments (2)
Wow! What an exciting time for the town! When the turbines become operational, how much power are they expected to supply? Will the energy be used for public buildings or sold to local residents for home use? Keep us posted on how the project works. It could be a good model for other towns. Thanks!
Hi and thanks for writing. The Greensburg Wind Farm is slated to be operational in March 2010. The ten turbines will generate 12.5 megawatts of power. The town of Greensburg (residences, businesses, and governmental entities) are expected to use about a quarter of this power, with the rest going onto the electric grid. There is a lengthy article elsewhere on the website which gives the details: http://www.greensburggreentown.org/home/2009/10/19/its-a-wind-wind-situation.html
We'll be sure to keep readers updated as the Farm comes on line, providing us with full-time renewable energy!