Wind Towers May Be Key To Future Energy

America's energy costs are skyrocketing, now many people are looking to the skies for power, wind energy.

Friday, May 23rd 2008, 10:37 pm

By: News On 6


A Green Country company is saying the future of energy production is here and they're it. Oklahoma is the state where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

News On 6 anchor Jennifer Loren reports DMI Industries builds wind towers for those giant energy-producing windmills. This week the company marked a major milestone in Oklahoma.

Less than a year after arriving in the Tulsa area they made their first shipment of towers.

America's energy costs are skyrocketing, now many people are looking to the skies for power, wind energy.

By the year 2030, the Department of Energy predicts wind farms like this one could supply Americans with as much as 20% of our electricity.

"All indicators are that it's here and it's going to be here for quite some time," said Kevin Ishmael of DMI Industries.

More wind farms means more business for Catoosa and Tulsa's new DMI Industries.

"We manufacture tubular towers for the wind industry right now," said Ishmael.

DMI just sent out its first shipment of towers to a wind farm in Northern Texas. That marks a major milestone for the local plant and opens the door for more business.

"We're able to serve Texas, Kansas, Colorado, so the southern region is why we're here," said Ishmael.

They build the towers in three sections called cans; each can is 40 to 50 feet in length and about 15 feet in diameter.

The can is one of the most important parts of building a wind tower. They take a flat sheet of metal, they roll it over onto a machine where they roll it into a perfect circle and weld it together.

From there, workers install a lip to bolt the sections together. They install internal electrical components based on blueprints from their customers, each section gets an interior and exterior paint job and they do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, trying to keep up with demand.

To many of DMI's 200 Tulsa and Catoosa employees, it's a demand worth sweating for.

"They're very proud of being a part of their future and that's where wind energy is, its part of their future," said Ishmael.

With businessmen like Boone Pickens joining the wind farm industry, it will no doubt continue to grow.

DMI already has orders taking their Oklahoma tower production into the year 2012.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

May 23rd, 2008

March 14th, 2024

December 4th, 2023

September 25th, 2023

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024