WINDPOWER adds community wind session

The WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition, to be held in Chicago May 4-7, will devote two conference sessions to community wind, up from a single session at last year's conference and expo. Jeff Wright, president of Midwest Wind Finance (MWF), will chair both sessions.

The sessions will be focused on opportunities for local ownership of wind turbines. The mission of Midwest Wind Finance is “to do whatever it takes to support community wind development,” Wright said.

The challenges facing community wind developers include negotiating power purchase agreements, sourcing wind turbines, securing financing and managing the sequence of late-stage development steps, Wright said.

The WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center.