Voters in Sodus, New York, U.S., expressed their belief that the winds of change also can provide renewable energy by giving their approval to a major capital project.

The wind turbine located outside Harbec Plastics in Ontario towers above Route 104, its blades welcoming wind for energy. Now, a turbine twice its size will be built on a hill in Sodus.

The Sodus School District will be the first in New York State to be powered by wind. The district is set to build a US$3 million single wind turbine on a hill near the high school that will stand 335 ft (102 m) and generate more than half of the power for the main campus. The district spends $220,000 a year on electricity.

The company that performed the wind study for Sodus School District set up shop in Sodus because of the wind turbine that can been seen along Route 104.

“That's the model of wind that we're developing,” says George McConochie of Sustainable Energy Development, which helped match the size of the turbine to the power needs of the district. “We want to put up wind turbines that produce electricity and local economic benefits. That's really the mission of our company.”