LAHARPE Dreams of starting up a wind farm and renewable energy technology program at LaHarpes Regional Rural Tech Center are one step closer to reality.
Officials from EDP Renewables, which is ready to begin construction of a wind farm in northern Allen County, presented local officials with a $150,000 donation Wednesday to go toward the programs development.
Coupled with a $100,000 contribution from Allen County earlier this year, planners are now roughly halfway to their goal of having enough seed money to get a wind energy tech class going, perhaps as early as next fall.
The next key will be if RRTC can attract a $250,000 matching grant from the Kansas Board of Regents, said Stacey Fager, USD 257 superintendent of schools.
Officially, the grant is being sought on the tech centers behalf through Cloud Community College, which would provide the wind energy tech course in LaHarpe.
Fager said the tech center has a pretty good chance at being awarded the matching grant.
If that happens, then were right about where we need to be for funding.
Organizers said launching a wind tech energy program at RRTC required $500,000- $600,000 for equipment, creating classroom space in the LaHarpe center and hiring an instructor. Students enrolled in the construction trades program out at the center would be a natural fit for constructing the new space, he said.
Cloud Community College has had such a program for years, and was eager to expand to a satellite venue to attract more students. Clouds program typically enrolls 30 students per semester.
The Regional Rural Tech Center provides college-level instruction to high-school students in career-specific areas.
This is the third year the RRTC has had a construction trades class in place, and the second straight year for welding technology. Wind and renewable energy technology courses would be the third.
Instructors are provided by area community colleges: Fort Scott for construction trades; Neosho County for welding. Allen Community College, meanwhile, offers support services, such as embedded credit testing.
High schools in Iola, Marmaton Valley, Uniontown and Crest provide the students, although word of a potential wind energy tech program has drawn inquiries from other districts.
We could draw students from a wider area, especially with all of the wind farms coming in, Fager noted.
Kim Ensminger, Marmaton Valley High School principal, confirmed a large number of students in her school have expressed interest as well.
