New wind turbine powers up in Evansville (Madison.com)

A new wind turbine on the grounds of Evansville’s wastewater treatment plant could be providing some of the power used to run the plant.

Installed July 1, the wind turbine is expected to generate as much as 125,000 kilowatt hours a year, enough for the equivalent usage of 12 to 15 average homes.

The turbine does not send power directly to the water treatment plant; it is hooked into the electric transmission grid that sends power around the state, Evansville Mayor Sandy Decker said.

WPPI Energy, in which Evansville Water & Light is a member, paid the city $257,400 to buy the turbine’s electricity, based on 13 years of projected output. WPPI also provided a $25,000 renewable energy grant, and Focus on Energy gave the city a $150,000 grant. The city of Evansville paid the remaining $161,600 of the $594,000 project cost.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal