25x’25

Ninety percent of Greensburg, KS, was destroyed by a massive tornado two years ago, killing 11 people and displacing the town’s 1,400 residents. But those same residents were determined to rebuild and with a goal of coming back as a renewable energy community, they have highlighted the path that the nation can take to achieve the 25x’25 Vision. And the rebuilding effort underscores the value of community wind.

The vision calls for renewable resources to meet 25 percent of the nation’s energy needs by the year 2025. Greensburg has taken that vision even further, striving to return as a fully energy efficient and renewable energy community.

Within a few days of the May 4, 2007 tragedy – the tornado bore winds of 205 mph that destroyed Main Street, schools, government offices, the fire station, the bank and the hospital – advisers from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy and other agencies were huddling with local officials and residents, laying out a “green” strategy to rebuild the town with renewable energy and sustainable reconstruction.

In no small irony lost on the residents of Greensburg, NREL advisers recommended wind power to Greensburg early in the rebuilding effort, noting that Kansas has the third highest potential among the U.S. states to generate electricity from wind. And, they realized that Greensburg could be a showcase for distributed community-scale wind power. NREL developed extensive wind farm technical studies and business models as part of its broader green recovery plan and the city decided to contract with 25x’25 endorsing partner, John Deere Renewable Energy, for the development of a wind farm.

Greensburg and John Deere will break ground this summer for the wind farm, which is expected to generate 12.5 MW of electricity, enough to power 4,000 homes. City officials say the plant is expected to begin commercial operation next year, and not that replacing fossil-fired electricity with a renewable source is an economic development strategy that happens to provide environmental benefits. The city is also assessing biomass-fueled heating opportunities.

Efficiency is also a hallmark of the 25x’25 Vision and a key element in Greensburg’s reconstruction efforts. The plan includes calls LEED-platinum standards for municipal building design and construction to (making it the first city in the nation to do so); LED streetlights; and energy-efficient framing, insulation, ductwork and other improvements to new residential and commercial construction.

The NREL says the new green standard is paying economic dividends, noting that tests on 100 new homes built since the disaster show energy efficiency has improved by an average of 40 percent over homes built to conventional building codes, with some residents saw their winter heating bills reduced by as much as two-thirds.

The 25x’25 Alliance encourages national, regional, state and local policy makers to study Greensburg’s rebuilding efforts and develop guiding principles that, like that recovering Kansas town, will make all communities energy efficient and sustainably powered.

25x'25 Achieving the Goal 25x'25 Vision, Efficiency, Federal Agencies, infrastructure, Private Sector, Sustainability, Wind