Wray plugs into wind power.

• Author: Taylor, Mike
• Position: ENERGY - Brief article

The Colorado town of Wray, near the Nebraska-Kansas border, planned a ceremony Feb. 15 with Gov. Bill Ritter on hand to celebrate the completion of a 335-foot wind turbine. Propelled by winds that average about 18 miles per hour, the turbine is expected to produce about 2.7 million kilowatt hours per year, enough to power the school district and most of the town of 2,500.

The turbine was conceived by the Wray School District as an additional revenue stream amid declining student enrollment and a way to offset the district's $80,000 annual electrical bill.

Initial funding for the turbine came from a $350,000 Energy Impact Grant and individual pledges. That still left the school district short of the...