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FALL 2001
Celebrate Wind!
Thanks to the support of over 400 new Capture The Wind members. Moorhead has
caught its second wind! The construction of Turbine II was completed in
August 2001, and by 3:00 p.m. on August 25, 2001, the city's second wind
turbine began generating electricity.
To celebrate the support of wind energy in our community, Moorhead Public
Service (MPS) will be hosting a Harvest Celebration and Wind Turbine
Dedication to celebrate Moorhead's newest landmark on Thursday, October
11, 2001, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the wind turbine site in northeast
Moorhead. New Capture The Wind members can have their pictures taken next to
Turbine II. Come and register to win a hot air balloon ride for two, or just
sit back and enjoy some "windy" tunes. The first 100 children at
the celebration receive a free pumpkin, courtesy of Hornbacher's and the
Pumpkin Patch, located just north of Glyndon. There will be plenty of
refreshments and fun for everyone!
Our newest Capture The Wind members should anticipate seeing the first
Capture The Wind charges in their October billing statement. The words Capture
The Wind Participant should be found directly above each customer's
account number on the bill, indicating that the charge is included in that
month's utility bill. If you have any questions, please call 299-5400.
Thanks to all of our Capture The Wind members for showing support of clean,
renewable energy projects in Moorhead!
Moorhead's Wind Program Captures National Attention
On behalf of MPS, Bill Schwandt, general manager for the utility, received
the American Public Power Association's (APPA) Energy Innovator Award
at the association's national conference in Washington, D.C. on June 20,
2001. MPS was chosen to receive the award for its successes with its Capture
The Wind program.
"The Moorhead community continues to express and show tremendous
support for the Capture The Wind program," says MPS's general manager,
Bill Schwandt. "We are very proud to have received this award on behalf
of our Capture The Wind members and the community of Moorhead."
The Intangible Benefits of Wind
By choosing to support clean, wind-generated electricity, our Capture The
Wind members have taken proactive steps to conserve our non-renewable
resources like coal, oil, and natural gas for future generations.
Although we can clearly see the turbines in our community, it is more
difficult to realize the intangible environmental benefits gleaned by
harnessing wind power in Moorhead.
To date, both wind turbines in north Moorhead have generated over 3,500,000
kWh of clean wind energy. What does that mean for the environment? MPS and
its Capture The Wind members have already prevented the emission of over
7,700,000 pound of greenhouse gases. According to Christopher Reed, energy
services and marketing director for the utility, "That has the same
effect on the environment as removing 770 cars from the road for one year.
Now that Turbine II is online, we should see these numbers double within a
year or so."
What's in a name?
Plenty, according to over 200 Capture The Wind members who responded to the
call to "Name that Turbine." In honor of Earth Week, Moorhead
Public Service (MPS) formally announced the new name of Turbine I on
"Windsday," April 25, 2001. Capture The Wind members, MPS
Commissioner Helen Frampton, and MPS staff gathered at the turbine site
where a plaque with both the names of the Capture The Wind member who
submitted the winning name and the new name for the turbine, Zephyr, was
unveiled and attached to the wind turbine generator.
"Our Capture The Wind members fuel Moorhead's wind energy program. They
should feel a sense of ownership about the turbines," said Bill
Schwandt, general manager for MPS. "We chose the name Zephyr because it
was submitted with the greatest frequency and because the word Zephyr
means a gentle or friendly breeze."
Thanks and congratulations to the following Capture The Wind members who
submitted the winning name: Kelly and Marjorie Aakre, Karl Bakkum, John and
Mary Brink, John and Virginia Dohm, Ann Duchscher, Minnesota State
University Moorhead, Dennis Heley, Allen Helmstetter, Milton F. Johnson,
Michelle Olsen, and Danielle Wilson.
Tour de Turbine
MPS is pleased to share its wind experience with other utilities like Orange
City Municipal Utilities in Iowa and Worthington Public Utilities in
Minnesota who are considering bringing clean, wind energy to their
communities. MPS also offers tours of the wind turbines to interested groups
and organizations. If you are interested in touring Moorhead's twin
turbines, just call 299-5400.
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