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Wind power, an environmentally safe energy source, might increase in the near future in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Wind Power Assessment Initiative, an OU and Oklahoma State University research program, has received nearly $200,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Tim Hughes, a research associate in OU's Environmental Verification and Analysis Center and principal investor in the study, said the research program's ultimate goal is to stimulate long-term economic development in Oklahoma through wind power production.

Wind turbines generate electrical energy. A small stand-alone wind turbine can provide enough power for a typical U.S. household, while groups of larger turbines, called wind farms, combine to generate utility-scale electricity, according to the state technology overview.

Oklahoma ranks eighth in the nation for potential energy from wind, and while the cost of producing energy from wind is almost the same as the cost of energy from coal or gas, wind energy does not have the same negative environmental impact.

The electrical industry remains the largest, single industrial source of air pollution, according to the state technology overview.

While natural gas is cleaner than coal in general, both produce large quantities of carbon dioxide, Hughes said. In addition, both produce compounds of nitrogen and oxygen, which contribute to acid rain and health problems for people.

Hughes said for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced, about two pounds of carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere. This means that the power production for the average home, which draws an average of more than one kilowatt of power, will produce about 10 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

In addition to environmental concerns, the deregulation of electric utilities makes this an excellent time for Oklahoma to begin pursuing energy from its wind resource, Hughes said.

Rob Anex, research fellow for science and public policy, said the pieces are there for OU to experiment with wind power. There are huge lots of land in Oklahoma, called school trust land, reserved to help schools of higher education. Schools can use this land for research and since Oklahoma has very high wind potential, those plots of land would be great places for wind turbines.

The funds from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Energy will help finance the first year of what is hoped to be a three-year project.

Additionally, the team will study federal and state incentives for renewable energy programs. They will also begin an educational outreach program that not only will educate the public about wind power and its value, but also will stimulate technical programs to educate skilled workers in regions with good wind resources.


To learn more the Oklahoma Wind Power Assessment Initiative visit www.seic.okstate.edu/owpai/okwindresource.htm.
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