If you haven’t heard anything about wind energy in Indiana over the past year or so, then you haven’t been listening (or you’ve been too caught up in the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" saga, which is totally understandable).

But our friends at Inside INdiana Business offered an interesting article today in which an expert from Purdue University suggested the possibility exists that wind energy might even be more profitable than corn, at least for some Hoosier farmers.

A Purdue University Extension renewable energy specialist believes the wind industry is becoming a once in a generation opportunity for the Indiana agriculture community. Chad Martin will guide a session during this month’s WIndiana conference in Indianapolis. He says the base lease payment for farmers to put a turbine on their property has increased over the past few years to the $3,000 to $5,000 range per year per megawatt of production. Some are getting up to $10,000 a year per turbine. 

Also, feel free to read my piece in the July/August BizVoice magazine, which features the latest goings on with wind energy in Indiana.

On a related note, Brevini Wind USA  and VAT-Group USA will hold prospective windpower Supplier Conferences on July 23 in Muncie. To learn more or to be considered, check out work-one.org (see Brevini’s info here and VAT-Group info here).