In-Depth: Money Blowing in the Wind

How would you like to get a check from your electric company instead of sending one to them? It sounds crazy doesn't it? But more and more people are making that happen by installing a wind turbine on their property. Government incentives are at an all time high to make money from the wind. Just ask Mike Sushoreba and George Andrie who are installing two wind turbines on their land near St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

Sushoreba says he’s doing it not because he’s a tree hugger but rather for the green as in money.

They weren’t worried about the neighbor’s reaction because she has one too.

Judy Walker says, “We eliminated our electric bill in the spring and summer. We've cut it about half in the winter time."

Judy and her husband Dan raise some beef cattle. They put up a wind turbine a year ago. Judy says it’s awesome.

But it’s hardly revolutionary. Farmers have used what we used to call windmills for more than one hundred and fifty years. They worked then and they work now. Judy says, It's just a little bit more technical now, more technology involved with it." And the idea has moved well beyond the farm. Deane and Pat Andrie live nearby with a glorious view of the St. Croix. Pat says, “We love this valley and we don't want to see it ruined so what's better than a non polluting energy source when you've got the wind.” Their turbine has been spinning since last December. The electric meter on their home actually spins backward, meaning they are generating more electricity than they use so they sell back to the power company.

Deane says, “I don't get bills. In fact, I've got three checks back, one for like 17 dollars and a couple in the 60's."

The couple doesn't believe the turbine looks any worse than cell phone and radio towers in the area. And they say their worries about birds have been for nothing. “We were told when we did this that they kill birds. It's been running five months and I haven't found one bird.

Their turbine was manufactured in Prior Lake at Wind Turbine Industries. A company hoping to ride the wind into the energy future.

And there is reason to be optimistic. The market for small wind turbines grew 75 percent last year with more than 10 thousand going up across the country.

Mike and George they each invested about eighty thousand dollars to put up the 120 foot machines. They got a substantial subsidy from the state and will each get a four thousand dollar tax write off each year. But it's still a big investment. Mike says, “we're looking somewhere into the 8 to twelve years payback time.

And there are permits to acquire and a wind assessment that needs to be done. George says, “We calculated what the wind velocity was and what kind of energy that would produce.” And they had to coordinate with their local power company to make sure the turbines are properly connected to what's called the grid.

John Richards from Northwestern Wisconsin Electric says, “Power has to come from there and go where it's needed so you have to think those things through.”

And, in a bad storm there has to be a way to get the turbines to -stop- generating electricity. Richards explains, “If it's not wired correctly that can be a grave danger to line workers and the general public in a situation where a line were to fall down in a storm or what not.”

But in general the power companies are in favor of this renewable energy because it helps them meet federal guidelines to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

For more information on wind power:

http://www.windustry.org/

http://www.focusonenergy.com/

http://www.state.mn.us/mn/externalDocs/Commerce/Small_Wind_Energy_Systems_110702042021_SmallWindGuide.pdf

http://www.windturbine.net/