Wind Farms in Earl Park are now Operational

News Update from March 16, 2008

Just as exciting as watching the construction of these "gentle giants" in Benton County (more specifically Earl Park, Indiana) the news is certainly official.... the windmills in are now in operation.

A total of 87 wind energy power plants stand tall and offer every visitor to the area something special.

Hats off to all of the farmers, families, county officials and advocates of renewable energy that helped make these wind farms a reality in Benton County.

Tri County High School Receives Grant for Wind and Solar

Vision and perseverance are paying off for Tri-County schools and students as they have recently received $90,000 in grants to install solar panels and a 65 foot windmill at the high school.

The new equipment will be used as both educational tools in the fields of science, math and agronomy as well as offset the energy costs as the school. The windmill alone will offset approximately 1/10th of the school's energy use.

Hats off and congratulations!!! These students and teachers should be commended!!

$1 Million Dollar Check for the County

Benton County received a one-million dollar check from B.P this past week. This money is part of the tax incentive package for two separate wind farms B.P. Alternative Energy is developing (the project was originally started by Orion Energy).

B.P. will receive a full ten year tax abatement from the Benton County on the two projects. Over the course of the next five years B.P. will give the county a total of $5M.

The first wind farm has a total of 87 Windmill towers and the second farm will have 222.

Wind farms in Benton County Indiana

Trains Bring More Wind Generators.

It's Spring now and the windmills are standing proud and tall in the Midwest towns of Earl Park and Fowler Indiana. Many folks ask how these megawatt wind generators make their way toward Benton County and this picture should help explain part of the process.

The photograph above shows sections of the towers themselves loaded on train cars near Brookston, Indiana. From there they are loaded on to semi trailers and trucked across State Road 18 toward their final destination in the rural farming communities of Benton County.

If you happened to take a drive this past Sunday toward Earl Park you could have caught one of the best sunsets to start the Spring season. I noticed many passers-by on US 41 stopping to take photographs. Perhaps Earl Park should build a rest stop with picnic tables for taking a scenic photograph of these amazing wind generators that dominate the landscape?? Set up a few cola machines and put the money back into the park!!