the film forum library tutorial contact

Ranchers Invest in Wind Power by Staff Idaho Statesman, November 22, 2003

An eastern Idaho ranching family is investing more than $1 million in what will be the state´s first privately owned wind power station.

“We´ll call this a test project,” said Tyler Schwendiman of Newdale. “If this can pay for itself, we might put in more.”

The Schwendiman family is building two 1.5 megawatt wind turbines on 260-foot towers just east of the Iona Butte in Bonneville County. The turbines, which are expected to be operating in spring, have the capacity to generate electricity for 800 homes. The power will be sold to Utah Power & Light Co., which serves some 56,000 customers in eastern Idaho.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the ranch a grant that will cover a quarter of the project´s cost. It is part of the federal effort to promote wind power in Idaho, which has been ranked 13th nationally for wind power.