PHOTO | Max Etheredge - Land owner Max Etheredge atop a Vesta V90 turbine in Synder, TX. This photo was shown during hte seminar to demonstrate use of equipment.
It was early Saturday afternoon when people, most of them older men in business casual, began pouring into the Agriculture and Science building.
They were there to learn about wind energy.
The Alternative Energy Institute, West Texas A&M University’s alternative energy research branch, has been giving Windy Land Owner seminars since 1989.
The seminars are designed to teach land owners and other interested parties general information about the wind industry.
Topics in this year’s seminar included wind farm basics, wind resources in Texas, potential problem and contract considerations.
At first, most of the seminars were in nearby states – it wasn’t until a decade ago that wind energy began to boom in Texas.
“The trouble is, wind farms didn’t really grow here in Texas ‘til 1999,” said Ken Starcher, Assistant Director of Training, Education and Outreach.
AEI began giving Texas seminars in 2001.
Speakers included Vaughn Nelson, Director of AEI (and co-teacher of WT’s wind energy class with Starcher), David Carr, Assistant Director of Testing and Research Assessment, Brad Christopher, Wildorado Wind Farm Operations Manager, and Mac Etheredge, landowner.
Starcher was excited to have an experienced landowner lecturing.
“It was great because he’s been around a while and knows about taking data and attracting developers.
They [land owners] know that he knows stuff and he’s able to pass it on to other landowners.”
Around 40 people attended the seminar. Some came as far as Oklahoma, New Mexico and (the farthest, according to Starcher) Selina, Texas. Most of the audience was landowners, wind energy students or people looking to get into the business.
“We get a lot of farmers calling, wanting information,” Nelson said. “I had hoped this would be a way to get more detailed, more comprehensive information to them.”
The feedback, Starcher and Nelson say, was very positive, but they were a little disappointed. They had bigger audiences before and had been hoping to reach a wider audience.
“I expected over a hundred [people], and we got a little over thirty,” said Nelson, speculating that it might have been because of the scheduling.
One audience AEI had been reaching for was county commissioners.
“We wanted to get the county officials as well-informed as possible, so they could inform their people,”
Starcher said. He said that is important for commissioners to understand the industry and the logistics of setting up wind farms before advising potential landowners. This is because wind farm contracts can last a very long time – one of the key points of Starcher’s presentation. And once the turbines are there, it’s hard to turn back.
“Once we got the concrete poured, it’s there. Address your concerns before the dirt starts moving,” Starcher said.
PRAIRIE | GEORGIA ROMIG - Land owners listen to Vaughn Nelson.
But AEI was not too upset about the turnout. They’ll be having more seminars, and maybe will try to change locations this time. They’re looking at hosting future seminars in Lubbock and the North Central Panhandle
“If we can’t get ‘em to go here, we gotta go to them,” said Starcher.
After all, they’re no strangers to change. The department has begun teaching its first course on wind energy this year, online with more courses planned and soon will be moving into a new test center and office.
The new wind test center, scheduled to be finished in November, will be located at Nance Ranch. The current wind test center, near the President’s House, will remain operating until the new one is complete.
Mid-summer, AEI will be moving along with it, out of Killgore and into brand new offices located at the old Palo Duro hospital.