Ohio has the highest rate of energy
consumption per person in the United States, but it also has the industrial
capacity to facilitate the development of
a national wind turbine industry. Since
2003, interest in wind turbines for
producing electric energy has been
steadily increasing throughout Ohio.

Wind Energy: Coming Of Age In Ohio explores the use of commercial wind
energy in this area. Produced by WBGU-PBS Producer/Director Denise Kisabeth and Producer/Writer Don Scherer, an environmental ethicist and professor emeritus of applied philosophy at BGSU.

The documentary recounts the history
of windpower in Ohio and describes the success of Ohio's
first commercial
wind turbines and
what that success means for the future
of the state.

Late in 1998, testing the city of Bowling Green's viability for
producing wind
energy was proposed, leading to the erection of a test tower in 2000. A year's
worth of data established that the region had enough wind to support commercial wind turbines. In 2003, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities held a dedication for two, 1.8 megawatt turbines at the Wood County Landfill. Their success led to the installation of two identical turbines in the fall of 2004, turbines owned in part by
the municipal utilities of Bowling Green, Cuyahoga Falls, Edgerton, Elmore, Monroeville, Montpelier, Napoleon, Oberlin and Pioneer.

"Wind energy is definitely commercially feasible at this time," says Scherer.
"We are going to need more energy as
a society. We don't need more pollution.
So a significant answer to our energy needs can be windpower - and wind turbines manufactured by Ohio factories."

The success of the first wind turbines in
Northwest Ohio has sparked testing throughout the state - in Bryan, Wapakoneta, Sullivan, Cuyahoga Fall, on Lake Erie north of Cleveland and on the Bellville Ridge.

Watch the full program Video

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