Wind Project Update: The Board of Trustees has decided to go ahead with building a small, 50kW wind turbine to provide energy for CERA! The Trustees also plan, in the coming months, to further explore the possibility of two large turbines north of campus. They will specifically look at wind speeds, possible turbine sites, and ways of financing the project. These decisions were based in part on the results of a study by Grinnell College's Wind Feasibility Committee. To view this report, click here. The Grinnell College community is excited about this exciting new commitment to renewable energy sources. To view the S&B's recent article on this development, click here.

A petition demonstrating the support of Grinnell alumni, students, staff and community members for wind energy was presented to President Osgood and the Board of Trustees on February 24th, 2006.

In a little over two weeks the petition collected signatures from:

204 Alumni
582 Student
28 Faculty
27 Staff
23 Parents
6 Community Members
27 Other

These signatures are a representation of Grinnell's support for renewable energy.
To view the petition information given to the trustees at their meeting, click here

After years of tentatively exploring the practicality of constructing wind turbines to provide energy for the Grinnell College campus, in August 2005 President Osgood took the commendable step of charging a committee of students, faculty, and Facilities Management staff to research ways to reduce the College's consumption of electricity from the grid with wind power. In January 2006, the Committee released a preliminary report recommending that the College, following confirmation of its findings from an outside consultant, erect commercial-size turbines to provide the majority of electricity needed for the main campus, and additional turbines to provide electricity for the educational facilities at the Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA).

In their report, the committee stated that conservative estimates reveal that constructing this combination of turbines would not only be environmentally responsible, but also an economically sound investment that could save the College millions of dollars over the lifetime of the turbines.

We, the undersigned, call on President Osgood and the Board of Trustees to implement the recommendations of the Wind Feasibility Committee by the April 2006 meeting of the Trustees. The Committee has demonstrated that construction of turbines to provide wind energy to the College is not only feasible, but a wise investment. And, in a world faced with the challenges of climate change, Grinnell College has the duty as a socially responsible institution to reduce its ecological footprint. Given this responsibility, the College administration should continue along the path they elected when they charged the committee to draft their report. The next step is implementing the recommendations articulated in the report. We call on President Osgood and the Trustees to take that step.

Sign the Petition!

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