Wind as an energy source

By Justin Martin

Operations are moving pretty swiftly for a possible wind energy solution to the problem of rising energy costs in the City of Abbeville and all over Vermilion Parish, according to Harold Schoeffler of Wind Energy Systems Technology (W.E.S.T.) based in New Iberia.

On Aug. 5 the Abbeville City Council approved a feasibility study, free of charge to the City, to learn if wind energy is a possible replacement for the City’s power supply.

In addition to the feasibility study, Wind Energy Systems is also looking for private funding for the project -- investors who would be looking to turn a profit from the venture.

Schoeffler explained that private investors instead of government grants were very common for this type of project. He also said he felt he was very close to reaching agreements with at least two investment groups.

“Once we get this funding, we are really off and rolling,” he said. “We would have to be running by the end of 2010 because that is when the (City’s) contract with Cleco runs out.”

That is, if all goes right and the Abbeville City Council decides that wind power is feasible and is the future of the City, a conclusion that Schoeffler is confident in.

Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said that the City’s interest in a power-generating wind facility is only one avenue the City could eventually pursue in its efforts of relieving City residents of high and ever-growing electricity rates.

Piazza said he had heard about a wind project in Galveston and asked Gene Sellers, the City’s engineer, to investigate possibilities for Abbeville about a year ago.

“This is certainly a long-range project,” Piazza said. “We don’t even know if there is enough wind out there to do it. That is the main thing. I also think there will be some environmental issues we will run into.”

Piazza pointed out that this area is also has opportunity for geothermal power and alternative fuels like energy cane, sugar cane grown specifically for use in power plants.

“I guess the moral of the story is we are researching several different types of alternative fuels and alternative sources of power, and this (wind) is just one of them,” Piazza said.

The system W.E.S.T. is pushing a hybrid system. It consists of 20 wind turbines that would be placed in Vermilion Bay, along with a gas turbine. The gas turbine would be used during periods of low wind activity.

“With the hybrid system, when the wind isn’t sufficient, the gas turbines kick in,” Schoeffler said. “They are very dependable, have a long life and are half the price of wind. Although they do burn fuel, they are very efficient and economical in their fuel consumption.”

In addition to providing power to Abbeville, the proposed system of turbines would produce enough power to support the municipalities of Erath, Kaplan and Gueydan, all of which have had discussions with W.E.S.T.

W.E.S.T. said it will most likely have a feasibility study completed within the next two months to present to the Council.

Schoeffler said he feels Abbeville is a natural choice because the City owns its own grid. “They are a utilities provider approved by the State’s Public Service Commission,” he said. “They have a wonderful wind source in Vermilion Bay, not far from the grid. There are really no big hills to climb.”

He also said, in addition to the decreased environmental impact a wind-generated power would provide, customers would also notice a slight decrease in monthly bills.

“The biggest change they will see is they will know the price is not going to go up for the next 20 years,” he said. “It will be lower than they are paying now, not much, but a little. And they won’t have to worry about carbon caps or carbon credits.”

Wind Energy Systems Technology is currently working on projects in two other locations: one in the Galveston area, which is in the funding stage; and another in Plaquemines Parish, which is also in the feasibility stage.