Wind project begins at high school

Upper Scioto Valley Wind Power Project brings two on-site turbines to an Ohio school, advancing renewable energy education through ARRA stimulus and public-private partnerships at the Wind/Energy Academy green lab facilities in McGuffey and Alger.

Work is underway on an historic wind power project that will install two wind turbines on the campus of Upper Scioto Valley High School, providing up to one-third of the electricity for the school's new Wind/Energy Academy and its "Green Lab" facility.

The project — made possible in part through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act — is being developed by NexGen Energy Partners, LLC, a national leader in on-site renewable energy systems.

The two turbines are scheduled to be up and spinning in late September.

"This will be the largest wind power installation at any Ohio school," said Dr. Rick Rolston, superintendent of the Upper Scioto Valley School District. "The project provides our students with an up-close educational experience, and also provides them access to higher education opportunities and direct contact with employers in the growing field of renewable energy. Our students will have the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of an industry that will only gain in importance in the coming years."

The school's unique Wind/Energy Academy is designed to be a "living laboratory" for renewable energy, such as the state's largest solar farm in Ohio, and other emerging clean technologies. Its Green Lab facility is located in McGuffey, with a second facility in nearby Alger.

The Academy will provide training not only for Upper Scioto Valley students in grades K-12 but also for adults in the community.

John Brown, president of NexGen Energy Partners, said, "Helping to make this project a reality for the school district and the surrounding community is an exciting example of public-private partnerships, and an example of the local impact of federal stimulus funding."

Brown said the project would represent the largest on-site, third-party-operated renewable energy system in Ohio. NexGen partnered with Engineered Process Systems of Huron, Ohio, and other local mechanical and electrical contractors in developing the project, echoing how a boat business gets a wind turbine locally as well.

In addition to federal stimulus funding, the project was helped by financial and technical support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Department of Development, which also administers renewable grants for homes in the state.

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