(March 27, 2009)

SARITA--In Kenedy County, the first of two wind farm projects is set to open up next month. Today, the company building the wind turbines visited a Sarita elementary school to explain how it works.

There's been some controversy about the wind farms on Kenedy Ranch. Company officials said the first project called Penacal Wind Power Project will start producing power soon, while making sure coastal birds aren't killed by the wind turbines.

Students at Sarita Elementary School got a quick lesson about wind farms. They even built a mini-wind turbine and produce their own energy.

"I already knew wind energy was already being used," said Michael Catter, a fifth grader at the school. "It was kind of fun to build our own windmills and see how it works."

The wind turbine lesson is coming in handy for these kids.

Iberdrola Renewables, a company from Spain, is putting the finishing touches on the first wind farm at Kenedy Ranch near Baffin Bay.

"It's windy down here," said Bill Williams, the Penascal Wind Power Project Manager. "It doesn't do good to put up wind turbines if we don't have that good steady flow of wind and this place is actually excellent for that."

With 84 wind turbines, the wind farm will start generating 202 megawatts of clean and renewable energy next month. It will produce energy for 70,000 homes in the Coastal Bend and San Antonio.

"I think there's a movement afoot to make sure we have energy independence, that we have non pollution sources of energy and that we're creating jobs locally in the U-S," said Jan Johnson, who is the Communications Director for Iberdrola Renewables. 

Environmentalists opposed the wind farm, saying the turbines would kill coastal birds flying through the area, but company officials said the turbines were placed in spots on the 15,000 acre land to avoid striking the animals. They also invested in bird sensors.

"It can be done we can meet our energy needs while at the same time being sensitive to the environment," said Mike Robbins, who is the Penascal Wind Power Project Ecologist. 

This wind farm will open up for business by mid-April.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com