Wind-energy classes offered at Mesalands Community College

Tucumcari college is one of the few sites across the nation to offer a wind-energy degree

By Joel Gay 07/21/2008

Tucumcari may be where Al Gore and T. Boone Pickens find common ground — in the wind.

The former vice president last week called for a 10-year, man-on-the-moon commitment to wind and other forms of alternative energy, while the former Texas oilman has been promoting a similar message as he invests billions in the largest wind-energy project on Earth.

And Tucumcari? The little town on the eastern New Mexico plains is emerging as one of the few locations in the United States where someone can learn to master the giant turbines that have captured the minds of many, including Gore and Pickens. The first classes at the North American Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC) begin Aug. 25.

Give the credit to Mesalands Community College. School officials took notice of the explosive growth of wind farms in New Mexico after Gov. Bill Richardson and the state Legislature, in 2003, called on electrical utilities to ramp up their use of renewable energy sources. Within three years the state was sixth in the nation in wind-energy production. Now it is 10th, The New Mexico Independent reported in June, and interest in wind technology is growing state- and nationwide.

Mesalands created the research and training center after realizing that all those new turbines will need workers to keep them running, said John Yearout, the school's director of public relations. With help from the state, the New Mexico congressional delegation, New Mexico State University and others, Mesalands put together the two-year training program to churn out qualified wind energy technicians.

Students can stay one year, earn a certificate and enter the workforce, or stay two years and graduate with an associate's degree. GE, the longtime household appliance maker that is now one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in the world, has promised to hire all of the school's first graduating class, Yearout said. "It is a very promising career," he said. "There are so many jobs out there."

Mesalands is one of four such technical schools in the United States, though other schools may join them soon. But Mesaland's centerstands apart because of its facilities, Yearout said.

By October, the school will have a working, 300-foot-tall wind turbine that instructors can turn on and off as part of the coursework. "I call it the tallest classroom in the world," Yearout said.

Students will learn a mix of electronics, mechanics and hydraulics. They also must climb the tower on occasion, which means they'll have to pass a physical.

More than 140 students have voiced interest in the 30 open slots, Yearout said, but the class has yet to fill. Those who don't get into the first class can chip away at other scholastic requirements, such as English and math, and get into the school next year.

Grads can expect to earn good money, Yearout said.

But with an industry in its infancy, who knows where it will lead? Perhaps the next T. Boone Pickens can claim his or her start in Tucumcari.