About the Roscoe Wind Council
When large wind energy developments such as the Roscoe Wind Farm come to a community, they generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the surrounding area.
The wind developer engages construction companies, turbine manufactuers, trucking companies, operations & maintenance crews, meteorologists and other professionals to come into the area to work for them. New local jobs are created as these companies staff up to build and operate projects. Local businesses grow due to the influx of new workers and new businesses appear to support the increased demands of the community. The tax base increases and local schools receive much needed funds for new facilities and programs. Newcomers relocating into the area drive a need for new housing and this in turn spurs new construction and a rise in existing property values. As the demand on the local workforce rises, the pay scale also goes up to compensate for increased demand. Local landowners receive royalty payments from the turbines on their land and invariably put some of that money back into the community.
In theory, everyone in the community - workers, businesses, schools, children, families, landowners & local government all see the benefits of an improved economy from a major wind energy project. As most wind projects have a lifetime of 20 - 30 or more years, these benefits are long term and affect not only the current inhabitants of a community, but future generations as well.
The Roscoe Wind Council's goal is to help insure this vision of a better economic future for our community comes to fruition. We are currently working to create wind energy related programs that support wind companies, local businesses, civic organizations, land owners and private families in and around the Roscoe area. Since everyone in the community is a potential benefactor of the development of the wind industry in this area, everyone is invited to participate in the RWC. Come to a meeting or talk to an existing members and see how you can help to move our community towards a brighter future.
Our Projects
Our initial project was to raise the funds necessary to put up a billboard on I-20 just south of Roscoe thanking Irish wind developer Airtricity for choosing this area for their largest group of wind development projects to date. The Roscoe Wind Farm will be a 209 megawatt wind project costing 300 million and is due for completion by the end of 2007. Additional Airtricity wind projects in the area include the 126 MW Champion Wind Farm and Airtricity has leased over 30,000 acres in the area for these and future projects.
The Roscoe Wind Council has numerous other projects under consideration including: 1) A Wind Energy Education & Visitor Center, 2) A Wind Energy Scholarship Endowment, 3) A public Mural project commemorating Roscoe's history and future, 4) A public sculpture project commemorating the beginning of the wind industry in this area and 5) A documentary project to tell the story of wind energy in the Roscoe area.
Our Sponsors
The Roscoe Wind Council's activities are made possible through the contributions of area businesses and private citizens. Please be sure to read about our sponsors by clicking their links to the right, and thank them for their generous support by giving them your continued patronage.
