Mr. Gordon Burgess of Reedville is a green pioneer. He has installed a wind turbine to generate electricity for his home. In addition, he has solar panels on his roof and uses geo-thermal energy to heat and cool his house. After a year-long study performed by James Madision University that used an anemonmeter to study the average wind speed at his property, it was determined that his site exceeded the “fair” conditions necessary to run the wind turbine. He jumped the necessary hurdles to have the permit granted in the county and now his meter is making more electricity than he can use. Because he is hooked to the grid, netmetering allows him to sell back the additional energy to the electrical company. It’s a win-win situation. The environment wins and the Burgess family wins! Superintendent Clint Stables wants Northumberland County Public Schools to follow the example of Mr. Burgess and demonstrate that wind energy is a viable alternative source of energy on the Chesapeake Bay. Whether the school decides on a tilt-up system like the one in Reedville or a self-supporting stand like at JMU, the prospect of Northumberland County leading the way in alternative energy is exciting!