Wind Energy Corp., a high-tech start-up company founded in April 2007, recently announced that it will locate its manufacturing facility in Morgantown, Ky. The company will develop, manufacture and sell unique, next-generation wind turbines to the middle wind market segment.

The project is expected to create 260 full-time jobs within five years and represents an investment of more than $6.1 million in the south central Kentucky region. Additionally, Wind Energy will expand its headquarters operation in Elizabethtown by 35 full-time technical or executive positions.

Wind Energy will acquire a 133,200 square foot facility on 17 acres in Morgantown. The company expects to begin manufacturing by the end of the year. Unlike traditional, propeller-driven turbines that require a minimum of 8-12 mph wind speed and an average of one acre of clear land for each turbine, the Wind Energy product will be designed to operate in as little as 4 mph of wind velocity without motor assist. Additionally, Wind Energy turbines are not harmful to birds

"We are working hard to bring an economically viable wind turbine to market, and Kentucky has been our greatest fan," said Gregory Thomson, the company’s president and CEO. "We have a dedicated team at Wind Energy and are all excited and grateful for the support from Kentucky and the city of Morgantown."

The product is intended to be a distributed "green" power source for multiple type users, helping to relieve the strain on the national electric grid and providing electric power to developing regions globally.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved Wind Energy for tax benefits up to $3,405,000 under the Kentucky Rural Economic Development Act, which provides incentives to attract and expand manufacturing employment in the state.

KEDFA also approved $595,000 for Wind Energy’s corporate headquarters in Elizabethtown. The grant was awarded from a High-Tech Investment Pool, which is administered by the Cabinet’s Department of Commercialization and Innovation.

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