When a community wants to learn more about alternative energy, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has always been willing to listen. We rarely have an opportunity to step in and physically influence opportunity, but in the case of the town of Greeneville, we had a chance to do just that. Through an important project that helps businesses and landowners measure wind potential in their area using an anemometer, this small town will soon know exactly what their chance of producing clean, renewable energy is. Check out an article about this project by clicking here.
Because of the geographical diversity of wind energy, it is crucial to understand how consistently the wind blows at a speed high enough to produce significant amounts of electricity. SACE has created this expertise through a program funded by the state of Tennessee, and part of the Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program, a program that provides important tools necessary for individuals, communities, farmers, and state agencies to make educated decisions about harnessing the benefits of electricity from the wind. This program is known as the Tennessee Wind Working Group.
The Tennessee Wind Working Group provides a variety of educational opportunities. From outreach and consultation to talking directly with stakeholders across the state of Tennessee about the benefits of wind energy, there are always new questions to answer and opportunities to research. And whether it is hosting a public workshop, or installing equipment through the state of Tennessee anemometer loan program, the Tennessee Wind Working Group helps deploy the Department of Energy’s vision of having 20% of the United States Electricity by the year 2030.
Wind energy provides benefits to the utility grid that include hedging prices against rising fuel costs, providing energy that doesn’t produce pollution or use water.
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has collected the most up to date studies on wind energy potential across the Southeast and found the winds that blow across the privately owned southeast ridges, and especially in the shallow windy waters of the Atlantic ocean, are consistent enough to provide over 678,066 GWh plenty of wind to help boost the region forward, hopefully moving toward a renewable energy future.
In addition to helping the town of Greeneville and Camp Creek Elementary School measure their wind energy resource, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is committed to helping an East Tennessee lumber company and the city of Johnson City, TN measure their wind resource.
Stay tuned as SACE continues to team up with East Tennessee communities to share information and provide the necessary tools to bring renewable energy to your backyard.