Following the opening of a new four-turbine wind farm last week, Rock Port in North West Missouri has become the first U.S. town to get all its electricity from wind power.
The $90 million Loess Hills Wind Farm, built on bluffs west of the town, generates five megawatts each day, more than enough for the settlement of 1,300 people. In fact, the farm generates enough electricity to power another similar-sized town. This has led Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities to buy excess power from the site. The farm is eventually expected to generate 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
The farm was built in a partnership between St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group and John Deere, who has been helping fund rural wind projects all over America. Speaking at the grand opening last Friday, project manager, Eric Chamberlain said, “Rock Port is making the burning of fossil fuels today’s alternative energy supply.”
It’ll be really interesting to see whether the success of this community-supported initiative will inspire similar projects elsewhere in the country.
Via Columbia Daily Tribune

Original post by Andrew Williams
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Following the opening of a new four-turbine wind farm last week, Rock Port in North West Missouri has become the first U.S. town to get all its electricity from wind power.
The $90 million Loess Hills Wind Farm, built on bluffs west of the town, generates five megawatts each day, more than enough for the settlement of 1,300 people. In fact, the farm generates enough electricity to power another similar-sized town. This has led Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities to buy excess power from the site. The farm is eventually expected to generate 16 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
The farm was built in a partnership between St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group and John Deere, who has been helping fund rural wind projects all over America. Speaking at the grand opening last Friday, project manager, Eric Chamberlain said, “Rock Port is making the burning of fossil fuels today’s alternative energy supply.”
It’ll be really interesting to see whether the success of this community-supported initiative will inspire similar projects elsewhere in the country.
Via Columbia Daily Tribune

Original post by Andrew Williams
- Rock Port, MO becomes First Energy Independent Town in USA
Following the opening of a new four-turbine wind farm last week, Rock Port in North West Missouri has become the first U.S. town to get ...
- Wind Power Produces 123% of Residential Energy Demand in Rock Port, Missouri
That's not a typo in the headline. The meters are running backwards and they're exporting the 23% extra. Rock Port, Missouri, is a small...
- Missouri town farms wind, not crops
Filed under: Alternative EnergyIn some parts of Missouri, the land just isn't made for farming fruits or vegetables, so the small town o...
- A Wind-Win Situation
Filed under: Local, News, Alternative EnergySlashdot announced this week news of a town in Missouri that will soon be 100% wind powered....
- Plymouth to Rock the Entertainment Industry
Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, NewsPlymouth, Massachusetts, that sleepy little historic town known for a rock has set its sights on ...
Norwegian company Think Global has announced plans to sell its Think City EV in the US from next year.
Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference in Pasadena, CA on Monday, CEO Jan-Oluf Willums announced that cars will arrive in the US in limited numbers later this year. The first cars are destined for utilities like Pacific Gas and Electric and ‘influential companies’ such as Google, for test and evaluation purposes. Cars will go on sale to the general public in 2009.
The vehicle has a top speed of 65MPH and a range of 110 miles between charges. It is described as emissions free, 95% recyclable and compliant with all relevant US and European safety standards.
Cars will be brought to the US by Think North America, a joint-venture between Think Global and venture capitalist firms Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and RockPort Capital Partners. The new set-up will be based in Menlo Park, CA.
The company expects the cars to cost in the region of $25,000, with anticipated annual sales of 50,000 units in two or three years. At that price, it looks as if Think is aiming to go head to head with Toyota for a slice of the market in affordable environmentally conscious cars.
Via Mercury News
Read the full Think Global press release here

Original post by Andrew Williams
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Original post by blogs@bobvila.com (Greg)