The First 100% Wind Powered Community in the United States

One might think that the first 100% wind powered community in America would surely take advantage of their standing. That's just the thing, it seems to be hidden-- after I received an email about this town's excellent decentralized energy success, I wanted to know more.

And so, like any other person in the 21st century person in my position, I poorly assumed that after google-ing, wikipedia-ing, and dogpile-ing the Missouri town of Rock Port, I'd feel satisfied.
Well, after each search I came upon only one short news story on each web site's initial page. Wikipedia gave me nothing but census statistics and Dogpile tried to sell me a vacuum cleaner. No doubt this tells me what role neat chain letters play in the way I get my news. Here's the email:

Help Rock Port Celebrate Being 100% Wind Powered
Rock Port, MO 2/4/08 -- Rock Port Missouri is the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. To celebrate this tremendous achievement, a Green Switch Celebration will be held on Friday, April 18, 2008.

Rock Port's 100% wind power status is due to four wind turbines located on agricultural lands within the city limits of Rock Port. The city of Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

It is predicted that these four turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours each year. Excess wind generated electricity not used by Rock Port homes and businesses will move onto the transmission lines to be purchased by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities for use in other areas. This makes Rock Port, Missouri the first community in America capable of meeting its entire annual electricity demands from wind power!

The public is invited to join Rock Port in celebration of its "first in the nation" status as the Memorial Building in Rock Port from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on April 18.

At the celebration, the public is welcomed to visit exhibits relating to the wind industry as well as other renewable energy sources and special exhibit tours for school groups can also be arranged.

The Switch Throwing Ceremony is set for 11:30 a.m. on Main Street in Rock Port and lunch will be served following the ceremony at the Fire Department Building.

The ceremony's features speaker is Soren Hermansen. Hermansen is a resident of Denmark's 100% Renewable Energy Island, Samso. As Director of Samso Energy Academy and widely-known as an energy consultant and adviser, Hermansen is well-positioned to discuss the reality of renewable energy and sustainability. He will offer insight into how Samso Island accepted a government challenge 10 years ago to become self-sufficient in a carbon-neutral way.

Rock Port's Green Switch Celebration is being organized by a committee of local and county-wide business people. Atchison County Development Corporation (ACDC) serves as a sponsor, and Ann Schlueter, Director of ACDC, can be contacted for additional information.

-Thanks to Peggy Miller for forwarding this story to my dad, who then shot it out to me.