Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) received a grant from the USDA to assist with the installation of a 2.4-kilowatt wind turbine located in Doyleville. The wind turbine was installed and went operational on October 4, 2010, and provides backup power to a radio repeater site. It produces approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which offsets all of the power used by the repeater site. It also serves as an educational tool used by GCEA employees and members to understand how much energy may be produced from a wind turbine, which can assist with decision-making on renewable energy systems.
GCEA staff visits the 2.4 kW Doyleville wind turbine twice a year to perform maintenance, which includes downloading generation data directly from the turbine, tightening bolts on the base of the turbine, inspecting the turbine blades for damage, and inspecting the land around the turbine (which may also include dispersing campfire rings and woodpiles next to the turbine).
