Southeast Colorado Power encourages customers to utilize wind power
Wind power provides some of the most exciting opportunities for developments in renewable energy in the realm of energy sources to date. In wind power systems, turbines capture the energy of the wind by converting the energy of the spinning props into electricity through generators attached to the turbines.
The environmental impacts of wind turbines are very minimal, requiring only small disruptions of already-open farm and prairie land. Wind turbines are also very cost efficient, needing few materials to build and lasting many years without significant maintenance.
Until now, however, there has existed little incentive for individuals to install efficient wind turbines. Wind power generation has been mainly relegated to large wind farms established by electric companies. Alone, these large wind farms cannot produce enough power to provide a hope for significant renewable energy replacement of other forms of energy production.
Southeast Colorado Power Association has recognized this need for individual support of wind energy and has done something about it. The co-op is continuing to provide a rebate program to their customers who install small wind turbines on their property. Members considering wind energy can receive rebates of up to $6,000 through the incentive program.
SECPA is one of a handful of Colorado companies to partner with the Governor’s Energy Office on the Small Wind Turbine installation program, which was developed to respond to the growing interest in harnessing wind power to provide local, renewable power. In combination with energy efficiency, on-site wind energy is on opportunity for homeowners and small businesses to produce their own electricity and reduce their carbon footprint.
SECPA administers the program locally, paying for up to 10 kilowatts of installed DC capacity per turbine installation. This equals in incentive of $2 per watt. With that sort of rebate, customers of the co-op are beginning to think green in more ways than one.