The City of Chicago this spring will begin an experiment in gathering wind power.
Two large wind turbines are expected to be installed on top of the Daley Center downtown.
The 20-foot-long by 8-foot-high devices convert wind into electricity.
Sadhu Johnston is with the city’s Department of Environment. He says the turbines will be an interesting experiment.
“You always hear that Chicago is the Windy City. Well believe it or not, there’s not as much wind in Chicago as you’d find in some other Midwestern cities like Cleveland, for instance,” Johnston says.
“However, there is enough wind in many parts of the city to power a wind turbine, so we wanted to try them out to see how much electricity we might be able to generate.”
Johnston says on average, the wind blows between 15 and 20 miles per hour on top of the Daley Center.
He says each turbine can generate enough electricity to power one to two homes.
Johnston says the initial installation and monitoring will cost the city up to $120,000.
It’s planning eight more installations on the city’s North Side later this year.