A Wind Boom in Missouri.

[Why?Town]

I didn't realize the goal of wind power was to bring steel mills back to Ohio.

If it is, why don't we supply steel for wind mills/farms in other states like Missouri, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania?

FWIW, My cousin works in Kentucky buying steel for Toyota. She has been unable to procure American (Toyota's preferred source) steel lately. The Steel mills are telling her sorry we're not interested in ramping production back up.

[irishbobcat]

Wind Farms are a start to bringing manufacturing back to Ohio. The steel mills
won't be back until we start producing steel for the wind mills since 250 tons of steel goes into every giant windmill for commercial use.

[Why?Town]

This article you posted states that Missouri has increased it's output by 90% but then goes on to point out that "One reason that Missouri's numbers look so good is that the growth is coming from a low base".  Ahhh, the "joys" of percentages.  I would be more interested in actual added kilowatts for each state mentioned. As reported Missouri's output could have been 100 watts in the first quarter and 190 watts in the second.

That article also says that this "surge" comes from one large project in the northwest corner of the state.

Here's a map provided by the US Dept. of Energy: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp

Looking at this map we see that the northwest corner of Missouri is the windiest part of that state. Still that corner rates only "fair" (wind density of  300-400). It is a higher rating than the rest of that state. 

It is also a higher rating than anywhere in Ohio. The western third of Ohio wind density being  200-300, elsewhere in the state 100-200.

[irishbobcat]

A Wind Boom in Missouri.

By Kate Galbraith, NYTimes, August 13 2009. "Figures released last month by the American Wind Energy Association show that Missouri's wind power supply grew far more quickly than that of any other state in the second quarter. Wind power capacity increased 90% in Missouri; the next closest states were Pennsylvania (28%) and South Dakota (21%). One reason that Missouri's numbers look so good is that the growth is coming from a low base... [The] surge comes from essentially one large project, operated by Iberdrola Renewables in the northwestern part of the state, which began producing electricity in April. But Tom Carnahan, the president and chief executive of the Wind Capital Group, which has developed several wind farms in Missouri, said that the state's long-term potential was substantial, though it had traditionally been overlooked."

Why is there no effort to start such projects in Western Ohio? Are our Ohio Politicians asleep at the windmill?

Dennis Spisak

Mahoning Valley Green Party

Ohio Green Party

www.ohiogreens.org
www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/