Living in Peace and Wisdom on our Planet

by Laura Parsons

On June 12, the offices of Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) held an informal discussion exploring the potential of small wind turbines. The term "wind energy" conjures up images of utility-scale wind farms – large arrays of two megawatt turbines with blades the length of a football field. But what about the potential for residential-scale wind turbines? Is this technology viable and affordable for a typical homeowner? The discussion focused on these questions, as well as small wind's role in addressing energy security and climate change, and was lead by two experts in the field:

Trudy Forsyth - Senior Project Manager, Small Wind Turbines, National Renewable Energy Lab
Presentation (pdf format)

Andy Kruse - Senior Vice President, Southwest Windpower
Presentation (pdf format)

As a follow-up, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has also released a fact sheet about current costs and other frequently asked questions about small wind turbines.

This event was the second in a series cosponsored by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). A small group of energy experts leads each interactive discussion and answers a variety of questions including:

·         How does the technology work?

·         Where is it currently used and where can it be deployed?

·         How much of our energy could we get from the technology?

·         What are the upfront costs and long term benefits?

·         How many design, construction, operation, & maintenance jobs are created?

Through this series we hope that Senate staffers will better understand the possibilities of different kinds of renewable energy. Information on the last discussion, which explored the potential of concentrating solar power, can be found here. Presentations from future discussions will also be made available on the EESI website at www.eesi.org.

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Laura Parsons of EESI at 202-662-1884 or lparsons@eesi.org.