USA - Oil owners try their hand in the wind power business

"After over 50 years in the oil and gas business, I've decided to get into a new energy source," said Midlander Toby Carleton, one of three owners of Global Wind Power Services, which just opened a service facility at 4 South Industrial Loop 250. We think West Texas will be a focal point for wind energy in the future and we want to be a part of it." Weiner, who said he has known his two partners for over 50 years and considers them "exemplary gentlemen and two o the finest gentlemen I've known in my life," said he is intent on learning as much as he could about wind power. Visiting the 10,000 square foot facility, he inspected a wind turbine that he said is part of 178 units the company is working on from Minnesota.

"My family has been in oil production for three generations," he noted, but members of his family have also looked beyond fossil fuels. He said one of his brothers had the idea of circulating water through existing wells, heating the water and circulating it to generate power -- a concept similar to geothermal energy. Among them are Junior Yanez, who most recently managed operations and maintenance at an area wind farm and now serves Global as vice president for operations, overseeing the shop and services. None of the men believe wind power and other forms of alternative energy will supplant fossil fuels. "Wind won't take the place of fossil fuels but supplement it," said Toby Carleton, adding that state and federal governments are recognizing the need to develop alternative energy sources, with a number of states -- like Texas -- mandating a portion of electricity come from renewable sources. Phil Carleton agreed that renewable energy like wind power won't replace fossil fuels.