Liberty County, Montana-  A declaration of energy independence by two Montana ranchers and a Liberty County maintenance shop will be celebrated in a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, October 14th, for the state’s first cooperatively-owned wind turbine installations.

The dedication will take place at 10 a.m. at the home of Stanford rancher-farmer Jess Alger. It will celebrate the start-up of 10 kilowatt wind turbines by Alger, East Glacier bison rancher Doug Nelson and a Liberty County maintenance shop. An open house will be held the following day at the Nelson ranch. Among those slated to attend the dedication are state and local political leaders, representatives from agricultural organizations and utilities, and government agency staff.

The small-scale wind machines featured at the dedication go on line this fall. Unlike larger utility-scale machines that make up most wind farms, the three small-scale machines will primarily serve on-site electrical needs. The surplus of energy generated will be fed into the power grid for use by other utility customers.

The move to begin harvesting Montana’s rich wind resources came about with funding from the Our Wind Co-op, a partnership that invests in locally-owned, small-scale wind turbines on farms, ranches and rural facilities across the Northwest. The co-op model is different from most wind development models in the U.S., where rural landowners and communities have participated primarily by leasing land to wind developers.

“Leasing is a good deal for landowners but ownership is even better,” notes Heather Rhoads-Weaver, who as director of the nonprofit Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED) was instrumental in forming Our Wind Co-op. “If you own a turbine all the money from selling power stays in your hands. That spells a healthier farm and rural economy.”

The first turbine supported by Our Wind Co-op went on line in May 2003. The Montana turbines represent the next three Co-op projects. Six more turbines are slated to go on line throughout the Northwest in 2004. “These turbines represent an economic win for rural communities where they operate, and an environmental win for everyone because they generate power with zero emissions,” notes Peter Moulton, who directs the Harvesting Clean Energy program for Climate Solutions, another key Our Wind Co-op partner.

Project funding provided by: United States Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, National Center for Appropriate Technology through the Northwestern Energy USB program and Montana State Department of Environmental Quality.
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Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (NWSEED) works to mobilize consumers and maximize the benefits of “home-grown” renewable resources. For more on Northwest SEED and the 9006 Funding, visit www.nwseed.org

For more on the Harvesting Clean Energy program, visit www.harvestcleanenergy.org

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