Class starts soon! April 28 Eugene Kaplan Center 720 E 13th Ave, Suite 204 Call us at 1-800-KAP-TEST or visit us online at kaptest.com today to enroll! Advertise* Get Results* Oregon Daily Emerald 346-3712 university commons observes with ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSING l * FEATURING washer/dryer in each apartment on bus route to campus computer lab, copier and fax availability • starting at $335 electronic alarm system • roommate matching service decked out kitchens private bedrooms/individual leases resort-like swimming pools 013655 NOW LEASING FOR FALL 338-4000 or stop by our leasing office at 90 Commons Drive (open Monday-Saturday) umversiTY COMMONS apaRTmenTs www.universitycommons.com Wyoming’s wind power turns EWEB’s turbines EWEB already has 2,220 customers signed up for its wind power program and is looking to expand enrollment Lindsay Sauve Family/Health/Education Reporter Being environmentally conscious is not just about sorting bottles and cans anymore; it’s about power. People concerned about clean water, air and land are mak ing a full rotation in the way they think about energy. And they don’t have to look much further than their local utility board to find al ternative methods. In 1999, Eugene Water and Elec tric Board purchased 21 percent of the Foote Greek Rim wind project in southeast Wyoming and has since been offering customers the opportunity to receive a portion of their energy from wind power. The Wyoming site has 69 wind turbines on 2,000 acres and is ca pable of producing 41.4 megawatts of electricity, which, is enough power to run 10,000 homes. EWEB receives 8.78 megawatts of that power. EWEB spokesman Lance Robertson said about 2,200 resi dents and businesses participate in the wind power program, or 3 percent of users. This rate puts EWEB in the nation’s top 10 /jgP utility companies who offer al ternative energy sources. 53 Consumers can choose to wr purchase 10, 25, 50 or 100 per cent wind power. The rate for non-wind power is 3.13 cents per kilowatt hour while wind power costs users 5.27 cents. Robertson said the cost for us ing 10 percent wind is small, about $2 more per month during the winter for single family homes. He added about 200 con sumers use 100 percent wind power. The cost for using all wind is about #17 extra per month. “Lately we’ve been trying to reach out to more commercial businesses to try to get them in volved in the wind program,” Robertson said. Dan Beilock at Red Barn Natural Foods said his company has been a part of the wind pro gram since it began in 1999. In 2002, Red Barn used 13,000 kilowatt hours of wind power. He said the extra cost is a small price to pay for contributing to the greater good. “We use wind power because we think it’s important to contribute to self-sustained sources of ener gy,” Beilock said. Students can also feel good about the food they eat at- the EMU’s Holy Cow Caf6. Owner Kathee Lavine said one-third of their main kitchen, where they prepare all the food that’s sold at the EMU site, is powered by the EWEB wind program. Holy Cow has also been hooked up since the program began. “We did. it because it seemed EWEB purchased 21 percent of the Foote Creek Rim wind project in Wyoming, which has 69 wind turbines on 2,000 acres. Courtesy like a step in the right direction,” Lavine said. University physics Professor Stanley Micklavzina, who teaches a course about renewable energy, said traditional methods of creating fuel contribute heavily to the pollution of the environment. Burning coal or other fossil fuels is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. "Lately weVe been trying to reach out to more commercial businesses to try to get them involved in the wind program " Lance Robertson EWEB spokesman Another common method is hydro-electric, or dam-powered energy, which Micklavzina said can interrupt natural ecosystems. Wind power, on the other hand, produces no emissions or by-products. Residents or business owners willing to pay a little extra every month to participate in the wind program can contact EWEB at 484-2411. Contact the reporter atlindsaysauve@dailyemerald.com. ATTER HOW FAR YOU E ALWAYS CLOSE TO daily emerald on the world wide weft www.dailyemerald.com ' web Pore/ and NOT jusd online London.$472 Paris.$491 Madrid.$684 San Jose, C.R...$573 Fare is roundtrip from Eugene. Subject to change and availability. Tax not included. Restrictions and blackouts apply.