Fifteen years ago, Mike Moore got a call from a friend asking if he’d be interested in working in the wind energy industry. Mike’s answer was, “When can I start?” The response was, “How about next weekend?” Over the next 13 years Moore managed the land acquisition for 25 projects in nine states and two Canadian provinces that are now generating enough clean energy to light up some 2 million homes.
The cost of wind energy is now equal to the lowest price of non-renewable sources of energy. Unlike conventional sources, wind power significantly reduces carbon emissions, saves billions of gallons of water a year, and offsets pollution from conventional sources of energy that create smog and trigger health complications.
Here in Iowa, wind energy generation avoids “more than 8.4 million metric tons of climate-altering carbon pollution, the equivalent of taking 1.7 million cars off the road,” according to a report released by Environment Iowa. Additionally, wind energy saves “nearly 3.8 billion gallons of water per year, enough to meet the needs of over 158,000 people.” Wind farms also leave the overwhelming majority of land they’re built on undisturbed and compensate the owners with money to support their farming occupation.
Mike Moore invites you to watch a fascinating online presentation about wind power, sponsored by the Sierra Club, on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m. For the Zoom link, please email mikemoore@lisco.com.