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You might think you need to install a wind turbine in your yard if you want to power your home with the renewable resource. But, one municipal utility company is helping customers buy wind energy with a new program.
Indianola resident Chris Boone says the environment is a top priority for her family. She says, "We recycle, compost, do all of that." So, when Indianola Municipal Utilities decided to start a wind energy program in January, she decided to put her money where her mouth is.
She says, "I'm on the IMU Board, so I've been really excited about it and pushing for it." The wind energy program is voluntary. Indianola Municipal Utilities customers can sign up and choose how much renewable energy they want to buy. Boone is buying 100 percent wind energy for her home and her family's dental office.
It costs an extra penny for every kilowatt used. So, Boone pays an extra $13 a month to power her home. She says, "It's a choice. I'll spend $13 less on fountain pop or something else."
About 30 of IMU's 6,000 customers have signed up so far, including the city of Indianola and Warren County. IMU General Manager Todd Kielkopf says, "I would say our early adopters are probably more attune to their environmental impact, and so they're purchasing more."
Kielkopf says the utility buys the wind energy from a wholesale distributor in Nebraska. The energy comes from wind turbines throughout the Midwest and put on the electrical grid. Kielkopf says, "For every kilowatt/hour that is built on the grid from renewable sources is one that's displacing the need for a nonrenewable source."
Kielkopf says that means better air quality and a bigger need for more renewable energy projects down the road. He says, "Our wholesale provider is going to add projects every year to every other year, and so we're always going to be able to, we feel, to get what we need to serve our community with renewable sources."
Boone says, "I hope that it's something our community will embrace, even to purchase a fraction of their energy, I think as a community we can make an impact. " An impact Boone says will mean a brighter future for her community.
Indianola resident Chris Boone says the environment is a top priority for her family. She says, "We recycle, compost, do all of that." So, when Indianola Municipal Utilities decided to start a wind energy program in January, she decided to put her money where her mouth is.
She says, "I'm on the IMU Board, so I've been really excited about it and pushing for it." The wind energy program is voluntary. Indianola Municipal Utilities customers can sign up and choose how much renewable energy they want to buy. Boone is buying 100 percent wind energy for her home and her family's dental office.
It costs an extra penny for every kilowatt used. So, Boone pays an extra $13 a month to power her home. She says, "It's a choice. I'll spend $13 less on fountain pop or something else."
About 30 of IMU's 6,000 customers have signed up so far, including the city of Indianola and Warren County. IMU General Manager Todd Kielkopf says, "I would say our early adopters are probably more attune to their environmental impact, and so they're purchasing more."
Kielkopf says the utility buys the wind energy from a wholesale distributor in Nebraska. The energy comes from wind turbines throughout the Midwest and put on the electrical grid. Kielkopf says, "For every kilowatt/hour that is built on the grid from renewable sources is one that's displacing the need for a nonrenewable source."
Kielkopf says that means better air quality and a bigger need for more renewable energy projects down the road. He says, "Our wholesale provider is going to add projects every year to every other year, and so we're always going to be able to, we feel, to get what we need to serve our community with renewable sources."
Boone says, "I hope that it's something our community will embrace, even to purchase a fraction of their energy, I think as a community we can make an impact. " An impact Boone says will mean a brighter future for her community.
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