Professors seek power of wind
Two Utah State University professors are receiving a $500,000 federal grant to conduct an in-depth study about the diffusion for renewable energy in Utah.
Cathy Hartman and Edwin Stafford will be using the grant to study wind power and will develop a research center for wind power in Utah. Hartman and Stafford both teach marketing in the business administration department at USU.
Hartman and Stafford have been undergoing this project for more than a year and this past month they had the opportunity to visit with Sen. Bennett in Washington, D.C., to discuss ideas in developing wind power in Utah.
Also, in addition to their research, Hartman and Stafford are suggesting that benefits from wind power should be used to fund additional growth in Utah schools.
Hartman said both her and Stafford started their research together, as a result of a campaign held last year for the Utah Energy Office.
Since that time, they have been researching more about renewable energy methods and helping others understand the benefits of wind power.
Wind power is used to help conserve energy and improve the air quality throughout Utah.
Wind power has proven to be one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world, Hartman said. There are several states that are experimenting with wind power, such as Texas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.
These states are using wind power to diversify their energy resources against fluctuating natural gas prices, according to the Catalyst newspaper.
Through the natural energy of wind, people can help preserve natural resources and improve the air quality in Utah, Stafford said.
The quality of air in Logan has been a growing problem for several years now.
“What we put in the atmosphere affects our environment,” Hartman said.
Hartman said it is important that people are careful with how they use energy sources and what they put into the air.
“With a growing problem of air pollution in Utah, there is much to be done to help improve air quality and conserve energy,” Stafford said.
“There is money to be made in developing ideas and finding solutions to these problems,” she said.
Tax cuts can be made and money saved through the conservation of energy sources.
Both Stafford and Hartman want to be able to find solutions to the problems that people face to help improve the air quality in Utah and conserve energy, Hartman said.
Through the grant money, they will continue to research methods to help improve the use of natural resources.
“We are living in an age that is requiring a high demand for many resources from developing countries.
“It is important that we are managing our resources in our economies well, so all can benefit in a growing world,” Stafford said.
More information on wind development in Utah can be obtained at http://www.wind.utah.gov
-emilymashton@cc.usu.edu