A co-operative of landowners in the Netherlands are deriving new income from their land and helping power thousands of homes via the installation of modern windmills, reports Robert van Waarden at Climate Central. The WindUnie cooperative connects small scale producers with residential customers. For some farmers, the wind power is a valuable extra crop. Indeed, one farmer, Stephan de Clerck, realizing that he could not expand the number of windmills on his own, has formed a wind cooperative with his farming neighbors. The Together for the Wind cooperative has substantially contributed to the financial well-being and health of the families. All the members have young families and they are naturally happy to have the extra income. Furthermore, the co-operative has built a stronger community between the neighbours. As many US voters do, Stephan believes that for renewable energy to succeed, we desperately need to level the subsidy playing field. With the removal of fossil and nuclear fuel subsidies, the market would take over and clean energy would rise to top.
Co-operative wind harvesting in the Netherlands. Cycling along the roads of Flevoland, you can’t help but notice the wind. If one is lucky, it is behind you, if it isn’t . . . well, good luck. It is no wonder that windmills haphazardly dot the landscape. They fit. Now instead of pumping water, modern windmills are powering thousands of homes. Part 4 in a series. Climate Central http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co-operative-wind-harvesting-in-the-netherlands/
