NW Electric Power Cooperative funds wind energy research
Technicians from Ozark Energy Services of Joplin install blades on a 10-kW wind turbine placed on
a Northwest Missouri State University farm near Maryville. NW Electric Cooperative purchased
the generator to test the viability of producing electricity from wind in Missouri.
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Today, interest in wind power is at an all-time high, and in some states generating electricity from
wind has emerged as a viable option for some utilities and residents. Currently, research funded by
one of Associated Electric Cooperative's member-owner cooperatives is testing wind power's feasibility in Missouri.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, Missouri ranks 20th nationally for overall wind
energy potential, and maps provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources indicate northwest
Missouri is the windiest region of the state.
In early 2003, N.W. Electric Power Cooperative, a G&T cooperative that serves eight rural distribution
cooperatives in northwest Missouri, donated a 10-kilowatt wind turbine to Northwest Missouri State
University in Maryville for its alternative energy program. The wind turbine is located about four
miles north of Maryville where it supplies electricity to the university's farmhouse.
Through the first eight months of data collection the turbine generated 158 kilowatt-hours per week,
just 9.4 percent of its rated output. While the amount of electricity generated by the project has fallen
short of expectations, AECI will continue to monitor this project and support member cooperatives'
efforts to explore renewable energy projects in their service areas.
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