Persuasive argument

Congratulations to Jacqueline Highsmith of LM Wind Power in Little Rock for her persuasive appeal for the Wind Catcher project. This idea of a mega-size Wind Catcher project has excellent potential to provide economic, social, and technological benefits not only to Arkansas but to its neighboring states.

The rationale for building a wind farm is timely as the U.S. is pursuing becoming an energy-independent nation, and yet vacillating to choose a balanced mix of energy sources. It makes sense to mix in pollution-free wind energy as part of solar, fossil, and nuclear energy sources. Moreover, the input to wind energy is free and adequate in Northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle, and with the sensible state support through extended and sustained tax breaks and other incentives, all energy consumers in the region stand to gain clean air and cheap energy costs.

However, there is a misguided notion that windmill technologies are old, dated, and not part of emerging technologies. The opposite is true. Windmills present significant engineering and technological challenges in their design, manufacturing, materials, transportation, and sustainability.

LM makes noteworthy economic and intellectual contributions to benefit local communities and educational institutions. Its engineers (Mike Belote and Erin Lanford) strive to mentor Arkansas engineering and technology students to come up with creative, efficient, and innovative wind-energy technologies. These interactions have helped enhance creative and critical thinking skills among students. Such relationships between industry and technical colleges in Arkansas offer an opportunity to create a consortium of excellence for wind energy technologies to develop advanced technical solutions to benefit the economy of the region and nation.

SWAMI N. MIDTURI

Little Rock