Monday, April 23, 2012

County 56: Benton

I traveled to Benton County in April, taking the scenic route to my visit with local leaders.  When you cross over into Benton County, it’s not long before the familiar sight of wind turbines grace the horizon.  This is the powerhouse of Indiana’s wind energy production and the front line of our work to pursue alternative energy sources for Hoosiers.

Lt. Governor Skillman tours the Benton County
Wind Farm during a visit in 2008. 
In 2005, I commissioned a study through our Office of Energy Development that revealed Benton County as the best wind resource in the state.  It has proven to be just that over the years.  Even after all currently approved wind energy construction is complete across the state, Benton County will still be home to 52 percent of our state’s wind power.  

The county’s three wind farms, Benton County Wind Farm, Fowler Ridge Wind Farm and Hoosier Wind Farm, produce almost 837 Megawatts of operational wind power.  That represents a huge economic footprint for Hoosiers that extends well beyond county lines.  That’s something all Hoosiers can get excited about. 

Indiana’s wind farms are a critical part of our state’s national leadership in alternative energy, and they are daily helping us move forward into a complete economic recovery.   I hope you’ll take the time to visit Benton County and see the progress for yourself.  It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.   

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