About Windustry
Mission Statement:
Windustry promotes progressive renewable energy solutions and empowers communities to develop wind energy as an environmentally sustainable, community-owned asset. Through member supported outreach, education and advocacy we work to remove the barriers to broad community ownership of wind energy.
- History
- Windustry's Board
- Windustry's Programs
- Rural Economic Opportunities
- Community Wind
- Windustry Information Brochure
History
Windustry has provided high quality wind energy information to
varied audiences of farmers, rural landowners, elected officials,
utility representatives, community planners, farm management
educators, and bankers since the mid-1990s. Windustry was
originally developed as a project of the non-profit Sustainable
Resources Center based in Minneapolis, funded by the Legislative
Commission on Minnesota Resources for two bienniums. In 1999
Windustry began a transition to broaden its scope and expand its
target audience beyond the state of Minnesota. Windustry is now
a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization partnered with the Institute
for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), another non-profit
organization that promotes resilient family farms, rural
communities and ecosystems around the world through research
and education, science and technology, and advocacy.
Windustry's Board
- Cindy Webster - Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties
- David Benson - Farmer, Nobles County Commissioner
- David Kolsrud - Farmer, Agri-Energy LLC; DAK Renewable Energy
- Lisa Daniels - Executive Director and Founder, Windustry
Windustry's Programs
Windustry's programs include an information hotline, educational materials, advocacy for wind energy policy, and outreach events for communities. Windustry organizes a biennial national wind energy Conference that addresses topics associated with community-owned wind energy.
Rural Economic Opportunities
The fast-paced expansion of the wind energy industry leads to new
challenges daily and Windustry is committed to seeking solutions that
benefit rural landowners and communities. Not only does wind
energy provide clean, emissions-free, locally produced electricity, but
it also creates economic development in the form of new jobs, new
industry, new revenue through electricity sales, and associated
growth and spending. Windustry seeks to promote wind energy in
ways that help capitalize on these opportunities to diversify and
revitalize rural economies.
Long term, sustainable growth of the wind industry depends on
support and enthusiasm for wind development in windy regions. To
this end, we believe that residents of these areas must be well
informed about their options and have the opportunity to be full
partners in this growing industry.
To help rural communities harness the economic potential of wind
energy, Windustry works to develop information and tools for
evaluating wind energy easement contracts, landowner options, and
economic development impacts of wind energy. We also customize
our outreach efforts for landowners, farm and agricultural
organizations, local elected officials, economic development organizations, and rural
utilities.
Community Wind
Wind power development comes in many shapes and sizes, but local
or community ownership of wind turbines contributes most
significantly to local economic development benefits. Essentially,
Community Wind means that one or more members of the local
community have a significant financial stake in the project.
Examples of Community Wind projects include farmer owned wind
turbines, school wind projects, municipal utility or rural
electric cooperative wind installations, and tribal community wind
projects. At Windustry, we encourage community wind projects by
develop practical tools, information, and expertise to help
communities and landowners evaluate the feasibility of a community
wind project.
"Wind is homegrown energy that we can harvest right along side our corn or soybeans or other crops. Farm-based energy is one of the few bright spots on the rural landscape and growing the market for it can only benefit rural communities."
David Benson, Farmer, County Commissioner, and Windustry Board Member, Nobles County Minnesota
We welcome your questions and comments. Please see our staff directory for details about and contact information for specific staff members. You can support our work by making a donation to Windustry today! For more information or to provide feedback on our materials and activities, please contact us.
Click on the link below to view a pdf version of the Windustry brochure.
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| windustry_brochure.pdf | 534.75 KB |
