Small college has big plans for wind energy

Representatives from the General Electric Corporation and Mesalands Community College have signed a contract for a 1.5 Megawatt wind turbine (about 400 feet tall) to be installed at Mesalands Communi

Representatives from the General Electric Corporation and Mesalands Community College have signed a contract for a 1.5 Megawatt wind turbine (about 400 feet tall) to be installed at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico for the North American Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC).

Obtaining the turbine from GE is the first phase of putting in place the equipment needed to establish NAWRTC and Mesalands Community College's training facility. The purchase is possible because of funds received from the State of New Mexico totaling $2,101,697. Contributions resulted from $600,000 from Governor Richardson, $1,000,000 from a combination of the Governor and the Legislature.  The balance came from state legislators. In addition the College was awarded $2,000,000 from the Department of Labor President's Community Based Workforce Development Grant of which $750,000 was identified as being for purchase of a wind turbine.

The College firmly believes that an on-campus turbine is necessary to give prospective technicians insight into the real-world work environments and provide state-of-the-art facilities for training qualified individuals in this exciting new industry. Sandia National Laboratory and New Mexico State University, College of Engineering, Institute for Energy and the Environment are the research partners in the NAWRTC and will use the turbine as a research platform for conducting operations and maintenance research, an area of research becoming increasingly necessary as the wind energy industry has matured.

The turbine is expected to provide generation of electricity to reduce global warming and will offset or completely pay for the electricity used by the College.

 "We have what we need to get NAWRTC up and running and we will continue working on obtaining the funds we need to make this a first-class facility that will truly serve all of North America," said Dr. Phillip O Barry, President of Mesalands Community College.

Recognized in the region for its commitment to things of the past ... dinosaurs (the College operates the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari) ... Mesalands is now getting international recognition for this new step into the future and renewable energy.

Students enrolling in the Wind Energy Courses offered at Mesalands will be able to earn certificates in specialized training or can continue and earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Wind Energy.  The College will also offer customized training to meet industry needs.

There are a handfull of institutions offering courses in renewable energy but the unique thing about what is happening at Mesalands is the full-scale turbine tower on campus, and the research partnerships with Sandia and NMSU.  This is cutting edge stuff!

Additional information about Mesalands and NAWRTC can be obtained at 911 South Tenth Street in Tucumcari, or at (575) 461-4413, or on the Web at www.mesalands.edu/wind.

Photo caption:

Wind turbines like this one at House, New Mexico surround Mesalands Community College, making it a perfect spot to establish a training center that will help educate and train people to enter this new and growing industry.

(Additional photos are available)

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