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Rural Communities

Agricultural lands in the United States are ripe for generating and utilizing renewable energy resources. With net farm and ranch income down and drought conditions throughout much of the United States, farmers and ranchers and others in the agricultural community are taking a serious look at how wind energy can become their new cash crop.

The agricultural community includes not only farmers and ranchers, but also rural community leaders such as banks, rural economic development organizations, rural businesses, agriculture cooperatives, agricultural extension, Chambers of Commerce, schools, county government, and other groups that make up rural America.

Wind for Homeowners, Farmers, and Businesses

Homeowners, farmers, and business owners are increasingly becoming interested in wind energy to generate their own electricity. Depending on the location, the payoff can be substantial. This page provide a listing of state small wind consumer's guides, an online clean power estimator that estimates the economic feasibility of installing a small wind turbine, and information about financial incentives, net metering programs, and state policies. The Wind Program's Distributed Wind page provides additional information about distributed wind energy systems and quality assurance.