Wyo rancher featured as national wind power spokesman

America's wind energy industry has launched a promotional campaign featuring the stories of Americans who have welcomed wind energy into their communities, including retired Wyoming rancher Shaun Sims of Evanston. The multifaceted campaign so far has included Capitol Hill subway ads in D.C., online banner ads on leading political and energy websites, Facebook and Google, and short video profiles and photos on the website PowerofWind.com, which serves a national community of wind advocates. A fifth-generation sheep and cattle rancher, Sims was approached several years ago about studying the power potential of wind on his land. "I saw it as an opportunity to try something new to increase my land's utility, as well as generate new revenue for my community," he said. After he leased his land for the installation of wind turbines, additional money flowed into the local economy, its schools, its building projects and its paychecks. "Because of the project, my ranch was given new, safer road access," added Sims. "And now I enjoy the sight of elk, deer and cattle grazing in the shade of the wind turbines." In addition to Sims, the campaign features a farmer and a wind energy technology student in Iowa and a small businessman in Utah...more