Preckwinkle, Commissioner Murphy Announce Completion of Innovative Wind Turbine Project

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today marked the completion of the Lynwood Wind Study Project, a unique partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, Cook County and the Village of Lynwood that led to the construction of two different models of wind turbine and a data center.

The newly completed turbines will provide several opportunities for the Village of Lynwood and the region as the project gets underway.  Operational information from the turbines will be disseminated on a real-time basis providing educational opportunities for students, teachers, residents and others on the economics and operations of wind-energy systems.  Through this information, Lynwood officials hope to maximize efficiency of future wind-turbine development, determine what energy savings can be achieved going forward on a broader scale, and establish guidelines for polices and ordinances regarding operation of wind energy power-generation and transmission in the village and elsewhere.

“The Village of Lynwood has set itself up to become a destination point for any institution looking to learn more about how to leverage wind power for productive use,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said.  “This is another example of Cook County positioning itself as a key driver of innovation and economic competitiveness throughout the region.”

The funding for this project came from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding.  The Village of Lynwood competed with municipalities and non-profits throughout Cook County for funding for weatherization, energy-efficiency and conservation and research-based projects and won a grant of $120,000 for their Wind Turbine Study Project.  The grant was overseen by Cook County’s Bureau of Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Control.

Commissioner Joan Murphy (D-6th), who represents the Village of Lynwood and who was instrumental in getting this project off the ground, pledged to help promote this project and draw attention to its economic and environmental benefits.

“In 2009, Mayor Gene Williams approached me with his plan for wind turbine energy for the Village of Lynwood, and I was impressed by his enthusiasm and his vision of a wind turbine technology training center to teach applicants from Lynwood and the Midwest how to work with this new technology,” said Commissioner Murphy.  “I am proud to have worked for this project.  I want to congratulate Mayor Williams and the Board of Trustees in having their dream of reducing the cost of energy to their residents become a reality.”

Officials from Cook County, the Village of Lynwood and the U.S. Department of Energy were on hand to unveil the new project to the public on Wednesday.

“This project will create a more sustainable community, help us lower future costs, and establish the village as a key economic player in the region,” said Eugene Williams, Mayor of the Village of Lynwood.  “We are grateful to President Preckwinkle, Commissioner Joan Murphy and Cook County for helping us shepherd this wind energy project to completion and look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the years to come.”