Jeff Eckhoff, Assistant Principal, Northfield Senior
High
Chair, Wind Energy Task Force
Interview - May 12, 2003.
The Wind Energy Task Force
- Includes student, teacher and citizen membership
- Organized by the school district to answer four questions: 1) Is the
project feasible in Northfield? 2) How will it be financed? 3) Where will
it be located? 4) Why should the school district become involved
Reasons for Northfield School District's participation in project.
Educational Reasons
- The project is "educationally a really cool thing" that can "motivate
kids" and be a "learning tool" in teaching about the environment
- Political science classes at the high school are already researching
the project's political process through activities such as reading letters
to the editor and attending relevant meetings.
- Mr. Eckhoff envisions an electronic connection that would allow students
to monitor data on wind, electricity and efficiency gathered by the turbine
computers from school terminals.
- Mr. Eckhoff hopes that as students "watch the project go up and watch
it operate," they will get parents interested.
- The Northfield School District is seen as "a leader of schools and
a place where things are happening."
Community-Oriented Reasons
- "Schools are looked at as leaders of the community."
- "Any time a school board is out on the cutting edge, it's a good thing."
- The venture "needs to be a local or community-based project," because
"ownership" is important.
- "Knowing that it's part of our community is a good thing
Other Issues
- It has been suggested that a question about the wind project be included
on school district's excess levy referendum in November, 2003. This could
draw out the "environmental" vote, increasing voter turnout. Mr. Eckhoff is
not sure, however, that the school board wants to link the wind project to
the excess levy. According to Mr. Eckhoff, "both things are very important,"
and linking them together in a single referendum risks creating confusion
or dissatisfaction among voters.
- The school district's turbine is expected to produce 91% of the demand
generated by the district's high school, middle school, and three elementary
schools. Mr. Eckhoff believes that meeting the last 9% of the demand through
conservation measures would be "another good educational tool."
- The wind project is "the right thing to do, both fiscally and environmentally."