WIND CENTRE DEDICATED

Post Cold War attraction: The United States' new national wind technology centre in Colorado is an exemplary use of a Cold War factory for modern purposes, said Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary when she dedicated it on October 25 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). O'Leary also delivered a $9 million check for the centre, operated by NREL for the US Department of Energy (DOE) at Rocky Flats in Colorado. The centre is to attract scientists and manufacturers. When completed in 1996, it will have wind turbine 16 test stands. A FloWind Advanced Wind Turbine 26, rated at 275 kW, by Advanced Wind Turbines Inc of Redmond, Washington, was recently erected there and joins an Atlantic Orient Corporation 50 kW turbine and a DOE 20 kW being used for aerodynamic flow experiments.