by Timlynn Babitsky
Gaining cooperation from individuals and groups within the same organization is never easy. Gaining support from diverse individuals and groups who do not share the common ground of the same organization is a challenging and complex social process. Wind advocates who are trying to harness the support of diverse stakeholders for agendas that are often contentious face a true test of skill in interpersonal relationship building. How do you get your wind project supported? (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Huge wind turbines are easy to find now across the U S. But smaller residential wind generators, a bit less easy to find, are also appearing across the US landscape. Small Wind is now considered a “tiny but red-hot market.” And about 45 US manufacturers are producing systems to service the small wind market here and abroad. In rural, suburban and even urban areas “small wind” is catching on. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
In the unfolding case study of off-shore/on-shore wind power projects in the Delaware area, the battle continues between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power. Tommy Wonk, a.k.a. Tom Noyes, is keeping tabs on the stakeholders, advocates and resistors. His latest post leaves you shaking your head. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just released a first-of-its-kind report examining the technical feasibility of wind energy’s potential to provide up to 20 percent of the nation’s total electricity needs by 2030. This 248 page report is a must read for wind project advocates. If you want the real story on wind power potential you need to do your homework. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Eric Chamberlain researched municipal wind energy, evaluated local wind resources, then shook his network connections at Wind Capital Group and John Deere Credit and asked: “Why not wind power for my town?” On Friday, April 18, 2008, Rock Port Missouri became the first city in the U. S. to be 100% wind powered and the entire community turned out to celebrate! (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Nearly 98% of all wind generation is owned by Big Corps – independent power producers and electric utilities. The rest – 2% to 3% – is owned by us little guys – farmers, ranchers, schools, towns, businesses, and colleges. The issues, policies, etc., of these two wind-generation ‘worlds’ are different. You need to understand the differences, and what does/does not apply to your own wind agenda so you can identify the best allies to support you and be prepared to answer your resistors. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Thinking of tapping into wind power by leasing your farm land to a wind developer? You may want to look into the Minwind Energy wind farm near Luverne, in the southwest corner of Minnesota first. “The real money to be made from wind power comes not from land rental, but from the generation of electrical power,” says Mark Willers, CEO of Minwind. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Depending on your source, Iowa is now either #3 or #4 in the country in wind energy generation. Add to that the Iowa Power Fund, Iowa’s $100 million renewable energy research and development initiative, and Governor Chet Culver’s mission to make Iowa “…the nation’s undisputed renewable energy leader.” Given all that, you’d think that Iowa is a GREEN POWER haven! Not so! There is a battle going on and you can help. (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
You can’t depend on wind they say. When you least expect it, the wind dies, the sails luff, the power goes. As we stretch to reach national 25×25 goals, there are plans afoot to tame the will-o-the-wind. The Iowa Stored Energy Park, a joint project of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas, is one such effort. How do they plan to get wind energy on demand? Why, simply harvest the wind’s energy and store it for future use. And once again we see that grassroots organizing is so important! (more…)
by Timlynn Babitsky
Earth Day 2008 is a far cry from its launch in 1970. Then, Earth Day was a protest against corporate environmental misconduct and the stench of environmental pollution embraced as “the whiff of prosperity.” Today, Earth Day has become a marketing strategy to sell the ‘green’ side of everything from SUVs, to snack food, to 1-800-flowers. (more…)
