Answer blowing in the wind? Indiana has more wind for power generation than previously thought.

I HEAR A LOT ABOUT JOBS and the economy However, it is obvious

to me that our lawmakers are overlooking some vital information. The Indiana Department of Commerce's Energy Policy Division is remapping Indiana's wind resource and the preliminary maps show considerably more wind than previously thought.

Indiana can move to the forefront of wind generation in the lower Great Lakes region. Northern Indiana is ideally situated near regional electric transmission lines and four major cities: Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis.

The states around us have begun changing their policies to encourage renewable energy generation of electricity. Minnesota and Iowa are among the leaders in the Midwest, while Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan are just beginning to change their policies. Indiana is in a unique position between the load centers and we should take advantage of this.

Why should we encourage renewable energy? When generating electricity from renewable energy sources-wind, solar, biomass and geothermal--we displace electricity generated from polluting coal-fired generators. By using less coal-fired generation, we also improve the quality of our air and begin to move ourselves closer to stopping the ozone non-attainment status we may be forced to live with.

Additionally, in the last few years, 90 percent of all new power plants were gas-fired power plants, meaning they are using large amounts of natural gas to create

electricity. By using electricity generated by wind or other renewables, we decrease the amount of gas used for generating electricity, thus helping stabilize the gas prices. Also, wind energy costs are predictable over time--once a plant is built, the cost of producing electricity is stable and the fuel source is free.

A 100-megawatt wind plant (a wind farm capable of supplying the electricity needs of 28,000 homes) will provide $5 million in payments to landowners and $12.5 million in wages over its 25-year lifetime, and Indiana's wind potential is far greater than 100 megawatts. Additionally, businesses could use wind turbines or other renewable energy sources to supplement their electricity usage and effectively cut their bottom-line costs.

Indiana could enact a comprehensive Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires electric utilities to generate or buy a percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources, usually ranging from 5-20 percent. The state could also adopt a net metering program. This allows residential and business customers to bank excess generation on the electric grid for future use. Minnesota, Winconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio all have net metering programs.

Hoosiers need to let their state legislators know how they feel about renewable energy. Presently, more than 90 percent of Indiana's electric is from coal-fired power plants. Do we want cleaner air? A sustainable future? We have an opportunity to be at the center of a new type of clean, efficient, sustainable and secure energy generation that is sweeping the world.

Derrick Adkins is president of Wolfsong Wind Systems Inc. in Walkerton.