Inspiration found down the road (03/14/2009)

Sometimes when you're looking for creative ideas, you only have to look down the road apiece.

Our neighbors in Union City have set in motion a venture that's not only creative but could prove to be historic.

This week, the Randolph Eastern School Board and the Union City, Ind., City Council entered into a partnership with a private company to build two wind turbines that will be used not only to generate electricity but for educational purposes.

As we understand the arrangement, Performance Services - the same company that is heading up the school construction project under way at South Adams - will build the two turbines.

One will be on school property, and the other will be near Union City's wastewater treatment plant.

The city and the school corporation will make annual payments of up to $154,000 to Performance Services - essentially renting the turbines - with the city and school system getting the revenues from the sale of the electricity to American Electric Power, the parent company of I&M.

Performance Services, meanwhile, gets energy credits as part of the financing package. The project may also get a boost from the economic stimulus plan.

After five years, the city and school corporation will then have an option to buy the wind turbines from Performance Services. The energy credits expire after five years.

There's no question it's a highly complicated arrangement, but it's also visionary. Though similar projects have been done in Illinois, this will be a first for Indiana.

And with all of the interest in Jay County in renewable energy and wind farms, this is one project that ought to be studied closely.

It sounds as if our neighbors are onto something. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]