Obies often find themselves battling the wind as they walk across Oberlin’s flat Midwestern campus, but Oberlin’s wind may be undertaking a different type of battle entirely — the battle against global warming and rising energy prices.

The Oberlin Wind Power Initiative, founded by Professor of Physics John Scofield, is investigating the potential of wind to generate power for Oberlin. On April 18 his group announced preliminary findings which were simultaneously hopeful and doubtful.

Scofield, Michael Roth, OC ’06, and seven current Oberlin students are ten months into a 12-month study to determine the feasibility of Oberlin as a home for wind turbines. In particular, the group is studying the performance of a 160-foot wind turbine erected last year on the New Russia Township Nature Preserve, just north of Oberlin.

The project is partly inspired by two 1.8 megawatt turbines in Bowling Green, a town 45 miles west of Oberlin. Bowling Green’s turbines were erected in the fall of 2003.

“It was the success of Bowling Green that made us think ‘If they can do this, why not us?’” said Scofield. “We’re both surrounded by corn fields, both [are] college towns and both own our own power companies.” 

Scofield presented two possible scenarios, one pessimistic and one optimistic. His pessimistic scenario estimated the construction cost of a 1.5 mw turbine at $1.8 million with annual maintenance costs of $50,000. In conjunction with wind measurements taken at the New Russia Preserve, Scofield concluded that wind energy would cost 13 cents/kilowatt/hour. This is a far cry from the 5.6 cents/kwh Oberlin Municipal Light and Power currently pays for energy. The number is even higher considering the line charges that currently force OMLPS to sell energy at ten cents/kwh. This could raise the price of wind energy as high as 18 cents/kwh. 

OWPI, in May 2005, received $13,000 from the city to fund the research, but marshalling the finances for a large-scale commercial wind farm would be a far greater task. “The supply is being outpaced by demand,” Scofield added, explaining the high cost of turbines.

Scofield, in his talk on the preliminary findings, outlined some of the problems Oberlin faces. “We’re finding we don’t have as much wind as Bowling Green,” he commented.

Furthermore, OWPI pointed out that it was dubious to assume a company like GE would sell only one or two turbines. Normally they are sold in bulk.

Despite the problems facing OMLPS and OWPI, there are several factors that make them hopeful.

“The technology is making leaps and bounds,” said Roth, whose interest in wind power was piqued initially as a sophomore in Scofield’s Energy Technology class. “It’s not a matter of if, but when wind power will be good for Oberlin.”

Scofield’s optimistic estimates are far more palatable to a town already strapped for cash. Figuring in a federal government credit along with a state incentive and green tags, wind energy could be sold for six cents/kwh.

Roth and Scofield are excited about the increased power production of two new turbines, made by GE and Vestas. Vestas also made the turbines in Bowling Green. “The turbines are 30 percent more efficient than five years ago,” said Scofield. “In another five years, they’ll be even better.”

Another sign pointing in the direction of wind power is the role of OMLPS. “Oberlin Light and Power has been involved in every reasonable environmental project we could do,” said Vic Oeftering, technical services superintendent for OMLPS. “We try to stay in the leading edge.”

Not only does OMLPS hold a small stake in the Bowling Green wind farm, but is a joint owner of a hydro-electric facility in Belleville, West Virginia, which provides about 10% of Oberlin’s energy. They also help fund research on sustainable energy.

The flexibility of OMLPS is attributed to its public status.

“As a public power company, we’re not bound by investors,” said Oeftering. “This gives us far more latitude. Investors only care about the bottom line, but we can pursue the public good.”

Scofield and Roth are not wide-eyed idealists when it comes to their project, but keep well in touch with the realities of financing such a project in a small, relatively poor town like Oberlin.

“It’d be nice if we could buy a dozen turbines and say we are developing enough green energy,” added Scofield. “But we don’t have the resources. It would be a hard case to get the college to go out and spend $20 million. It’s also about economic sustainability.”

Scofield even raised the possibility of scrapping the development of wind power in Oberlin altogether, mentioning the possibility of investing more resources in wind power elsewhere.