Wind-power project comes to Madison County

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s the press release:

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Winds blowing throughthe mountains of North Carolina will move more than leaves next year when thefirst rural wind power education program east of the Mississippi River isestablished in Madison County.

A regional partnership will install small wind turbines at three schoolsin Madison County and develop a K-12 alternative-energy curriculum as part ofan effort to introduce wind power to rural communities and initiate communitydiscussions around the benefits and challenges of alternative-energyresources. A fourth installation will be established at the Madison CountyCooperative Extension Office.

The partnership includes the Appalachian Regional Commission, MountainValleys Resource Conservation and Development, USDA Natural ResourcesConservation Service, Progress Energy Carolinas, French Broad EMC, the MadisonCounty School System, the Madison County Cooperative Extension Service,Appalachian State University, Sundance Power and Southwest Wind Power. Theschools participating in this initiative are Hot Springs Elementary, MadisonMiddle School and Madison High School. Each school will have a 2- or 3-kilowatt (kw) wind turbine installed on its property. The first turbine willbe installed at Madison High in May 2009 with the other installationsfollowing shortly thereafter.