CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi officials flipped the switch to turn on their three new vertical wind turbines on Friday. The wind turbines are the first of their kind in the U.S.
The purpose of the wind farm is to give students a great learning opportunity to study how to repair and operate them, plus to keep them on the cutting edge of new technology.
University President Flavius Killebrew said the new farms will also benefit the environment.
"It will generate electricity, and that is certainly a side benefit of the installation," Killebrew said. "And it will reduce carbon being released into the atmosphere of about 300 tons a year."
The wind farms were funded by a stimulus grant by the State Energy Conservation Office and the U.S. Department of Energy.
