Spirit Lake schools powered by the wind

by | Oct 31, 2001 | Education, Outdoors

A northwest Iowa school district has become the first in the state, and possibly the nation, to get all its power from wind. Officials from the Spirit Lake School District dedicated a 780-thousand dollar wind turbine today. Superintendent Tim Grieves says there were two reasons for building the turbine. It will be an educational tool, and it will save the district money. The district built a turbine to provide power to the elementary school in 1993. Schoolboard President Craig Newell says the new turbine will power the middle school, high school and administrative offices.Former Superintendent Harold Overman spearheaded the building of the first wind turbine. He calls them “money machines.”The school district has already signed an agreement to sell any excess power to Alliant Energy.