Floyd County hosts first Wind Energy Expo
Monday, March 01, 2010
The recent snow and rain may help area producers save money on irrigation, but there is another natural source of income they could cash in on.
The Caprock Plains Wind Energy Association will host its first Wind Energy Expo to educate the public on the long-term benefits of wind energy in the South Plains.
The main benefactors of investing in wind energy in the region, but may not realize it, are landowners, said Justin Jaworski, executive director of the Floydada Economic Development Corporation.
“It’s a good way (for producers) to have supplemental income,” he said. “A way for them to be able to farm their land as they always have and make smart decisions about leasing out land to developers.”
Landowners, who lease their land to developers for wind turbines or transmission lines, will not use the energy generated on their land. Instead, they will generate money from the metropolitan areas that the energy is exported to and bring more money and business to West Texas, Jaworski said.
He said many people have already agreed to lease some of their land for wind energy development, and the expo will serve to further educate and prepare those individuals for future decisions.
Kelly Ayers, executive director for CPWEA, said this was the non-profit organization’s first big event that will bring wind energy developers and experts together with South Plains landowners.
Attendees will be able to meet energy developers, consultants, manufacturers and educators from Oklahoma, Amarillo, Big Spring, Sweetwater and Plainview.
While the majority of the CPWEA members live in Hale, Floyd and Motley counties, Ayers said the event is free and open to anyone interested in learning about or investing in wind energy.
By having the expo, Jaworski said members of the public can speak directly with the companies and get all of their questions answered.
“The more people, the more networking and connections, the faster things will happen,” he said.
Read more in Wednesday's Avalanche-Journal.
I found it here: http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/030110/upd_569390548.shtml
I hope to see you all at the expo on Thursday!
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