Windustry functions as the go-to center for information on anything related to community wind. Windustry works hard everyday to increase locally owned, locally used, clean energy throughout the U.S.

What Exactly IS Community Wind?

A community-owned wind energy business differs from a commercially-owned wind energy business in that it is typically made up of a group of rural landowners, local small businesses and/or community leaders who have come together through a cooperative-style or other multi-ownership business model to develop and jointly own a wind project. In a community wind project, the landowners can invest in and own the turbines and the energy produced, rather than simply leasing their land to the commercial developer.

Addressing Climate Change

Community wind is locally-owned distributed wind energy; energy generated on-site or near where it is used by farms, homes, businesses, and public facilities. Locally produced, locally used wind energy is currently the most rapidly deployable and cost effective form of clean energy available. Distributed wind’s potential to contribute to a real and immediate reduction in the Earth’s atmospheric CO2 level is one of the outcomes that drives what Windustry does.

Wind Energy and Rural Economic Development

Energy from a community-wind project is either used locally or can be sold to an off-taker and put onto the large nation-wide transmission grid and carried to distant users. The sale of this energy provides an additional income source for the project owners: farmers, small business owners, municipalities, colleges or universities, rural electric cooperatives. When wind turbines are owned locally, not only are the economic benefits multiplied by a factor, but the economic benefits stay local in the form of income, new jobs, activated supply chains, and adjunct business development. The potential for community-owned wind energy to contribute to rural economic growth is the other outcome that drives our work.

So What Exactly is Windustry Doing and What Will Your Donation Support?

For over 15 years Windustry has played a significant role in helping to develop, promote and support the growth of community-owned wind energy.

Windustry provides detailed information on community wind project development to stakeholders such as farmers, rural landowners, local utility representatives, community planners, rural economic development professionals, and decision-makers at the local, state and federal levels. Windustry also provides expertise and technical assistance to emerging small and community wind projects nationwide.

During the past year, donations from people like you have helped us to make community wind more accessible in the following ways:

• Advancing clean energy policy at the local, state, and Federal levels.
• Researching practical mutual ownership business models for community wind, the development of case studies that exemplify successful approaches, and making this information broadly available for replication throughout the U.S.
• Providing technical assistance, such as site assessments, wind resource analyses, economic modeling, equipment assessment and advice on business set-up, to those seeking to develop a community wind project.
• Maintaining our primary vehicle for providing support and education to those interested community wind: Windustry’s very popular and heavily used website (www.windustry.org) is chock-full of resources for those seeking to develop a small or community wind project. the site is also frequented by elected officials at all levels of government who need to make decisions on how wind is developed in their communities. In 2011, nearly 1,000 unique visitors visited the site per day -- a testament to its usefulness.
• Creating, producing, and staffing the Wind Energy Center in the Eco Experience building at the Great Minnesota Get-together! This annual exhibit (2006-2012) allows Windustry to present wind energy as an environmental solution to more than 350,000 Eco Experience visitors over the 12 days of the Fair. 2012 marked our seventh year at the Minnesota State Fair. Look for us at the Fair in 2013.

Please support Windustry today by making a donation, becoming a FAN on this page, and following us on facebook and Twitter.