Dear Editor:
Cochrane High School (CHS) has a reputation of excellence and prides itself in engaging, enriching and empowering students. The CHS Sustainable Development Commit-tee is no exception to this excellence.
As part of a continuing mission towards self-sustaining energy projects, CHS is proposing to install a monopole 5 Kw wind turbine. This project is a valuable and sustainable educational tool, completely funded through corporate and private donations.
Over the past 11 months, the CHS Sustainable Develop-ment Team has conducted a multi-tiered, investigative process of research and consultations, personally contacting leading experts in their fields to consider the risks and benefits, and to address the expressed concerns of CHS residents.
The next step in the process would be to submit a permit application to the Alberta Utilities Commission, which would rule on the merits of the application. Prior to making this submission, Rocky View Schools along with CHS will carefully consider the voice of all affected parties.
Regardless of the outcome, we believe this project has been a valuable learning experience for CHS in terms of the extensive research conducted by students into micro-energy generation, as well as the process of engaging our public on the merits of the program. In hindsight, CHS should have sought community input more extensively and earlier in the process; we will endeavour to do so in the future.
The school will keep the community informed by posting regular updates on our website at cochrane.rockyview.ab.ca, as well via the local newspapers.
We encourage all residents to learn more about this project by watching a detailed presentation “podcast” of the wind turbine project, located on the homepage of our website.
We look forward to further discussion of this project.
Sincerely,
Susan L. Poole,
principal, Cochrane High School; Darrell Couture,
associate superintendent business and operations, Rocky View Schools
