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Whitewater Valley REMC invites member participation in a public hearing to be held at the Union County 4-H Building, 411 Patriot Blvd., Liberty, IN, on July 10, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will consider the opportunity for REMC to support net metering, the practice whereby power customers generating their own energy (through alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power) can distribute surplus amounts of that energy back to the larger power grid, and receive financial credit for doing so. Some power companies have been traditionally resistant to this idea but are now considering it more openly. Please come share your thoughts on this important aspect of sustainability and energy independence.

As a part of a series of columns on agribusiness issues, Director of Wayne County Zoning and Planning Steve Higinbotham wrote an article today on the growing local interest in renewable energy sources and solicits feedback from the public on these issues.

The city of Richmond and its plan commission is currently updating its land use ordinances. The discussions have included regulations for wind towers, confined feeding operations and ethanol production facilities. The Wayne County Plan Commission has recently introduced these topics for discussion in its meetings as well. The Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce agribusiness committee will serve in a capacity to network, educate and address these specific issues. If you have a comment that could play a part in developing land use criteria for Wayne County, please contact any of these organizations, because there is no doubt that what was once old will be new again.

You can read the full article.

Local blogger Paul Retherford has some thoughts on reports that Wind energy is coming soon to Indiana. He cites a South Bend Tribune article that notes Indiana Michigan power will be placing test sites in East-central Indiana soon. Paul is excited about this.

This announcement comes on the heals of two others by companies planning wind farms in Benton and Allen counties...RP&L has sponsored a meteorological study of wind in northern Wayne county by placing wind measuring equipment on the Kicks96 towers on Tingler Rd. This is great news. The genie is out of the bottle. Will this push Indiana lawmakers to enact a Renewable Energy Portfolio?