Wind center proposed – The North American Wind Research and Training Center

A new program is blowing in the wind for Mesalands Community College and it has already gathered support throughout the state.

The North American Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC) http://www.mesalands.edu/wind/default.htm initiative would gear the next generation toward efficient energy production by making electricity through wind power, said Mesalands President Phillip Barry, adding the time is right for New Mexico to act.

“Timing is so critical that we move forward as a state as everyone is getting on the same bandwagon,” Barry said, adding New Mexico would be the fourth state to harbor such an initiative, as wind energy research and programs already are under way in Montana, North Dakota and Iowa.
Cost for the wind center, which Barry said would measure approximately 70,000 square feet, would be about $9.5 million, he said.

This includes the $1.4 million needed to build a massive wind turbine near campus, Barry said, and the cost of college faculty to train students.

The college would offer two programs for windsmiths, Barry said. The first would be an eight-to-13 week program to train candidates to operate and maintain the increasingly popular wind towers. The second would be a more comprehensive two-year program for an associate’s degree to gear students for a career in the wind industry.

By Ryn Gargulinski: QCS staff
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