Salina Journal

When critics say wind energy is unreliable, this isn't usually what they mean.

The wind turbine at Ell-Saline Middle School/High School has been lifeless since shortly after it was hoisted into place Nov. 7 before an applauding crowd of students.

"It ran for about two weeks," said Chris Carazo, the seventh-grade science teacher. "We had a huge wind day, and it shut itself down. We're waiting for a technician to come."

The setback notwithstanding, renewable energy is becoming an increasingly visible force in Kansas and, to some extent, in Salina.

In 2008, wind developers asked that 37 sites around the state be evaluated as potential wind farms -- as many sites as were studied in 2001 through 2007. The peak generating capacity of the 2008 requests ?? is almost 9,000 megawatts, more than six times the capacity of the proposed coal-fired power plants in Holcomb (1,400 MW).

Two large wind farms have already been built near Salina -- the Smoky Hills Wind Farm, about 20 miles west of Salina, and the Meridian Way Wind Farm in Cloud County, about 45 miles north of Salina.

Salina is thought by some to be an excellent location for renewable energy. Analysis by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, based in Washington, identified Salina as the state's No. 1 city for renewable jobs potential. The think tank's analysis concluded that the Exide Technologies plant, 413 E. Berg, could add more than 2,000 jobs to make batteries for the solar power industry.

Exide was noncommittal about plans to adapt the Salina plant.

"Exide does have an interest in developing products for the solar market," the company said in a written response to questions on the matter. "As to whether there are future plans to manufacture batteries for solar applications at its Salina, Kansas, facility, it is too soon to forecast."

In the past year, Vestas, which is based in Denmark and is the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines, opened an office on North Ohio Street in Salina. An interview could not be arranged with company officials.

The turbines at Meridian Way are made by Vestas (they are the V90 3.0 MW models, capable of generating about 1,500 times as much electricity as the turbine installed at Ell-Saline). The turbines at Smoky Hill are a mix of those made by Vestas and GE.

Ruth Douglas Miller, director of the Wind Application Center at Kansas State University, has been active in the Wind for Schools program, which supplied Ell-Saline's wind turbine.

"It's hopefully going to be fixed soon," she said. "We've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the manufacturer to help us with repairs."

The Wind for Schools program is funded by the National Renewable Energy Laboratories. It targets schools in states considered to be undervaluing their wind potential, Douglas Miller said. The states are Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Idaho and South Dakota.

So far, the program has installed turbines at seven Kansas schools. The turbines are not working at two of the schools, and at a third school the data communication system isn't functioning, she said.

While the turbines will generate a small amount of electricity -- in most areas, they would be expected to generate roughly half the amount a single household would use -- their main role is to educate and encourage positive attitudes about wind.

"The intent is to increase students' interest in wind energy and therefore pursue careers in wind energy," she said.

n Reporter Duane Schrag can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at dschrag@salina.com.