KC McGinnis

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Microwind

Gary Levinson and Jackie Armstr...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson and Jackie Armstrong pose for a portrait at their home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson walks while Jacki...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson walks while Jackie Armstrong rides an electric lawnmower through a prairie preserve at their home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects his sola...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects his solar panel array at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects the cont...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects the control unit for his electrical system at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson poses for a portr...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson poses for a portrait with his house electrical unit at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects the elec...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson inspects the electrical unit at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson works on a homema...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson works on a homemade electric go-kart at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson plugs in his Tesl...ROWIND St. Ansgar United States

Gary Levinson plugs in his Tesla at his home in St. Ansgar, Iowa on Monday, October 28, 2024. A 100-foot wind turbine now dominates the skyline of Armstrong and Levinson's 80-acre Iowa property. Installed and connected over a couple of weeks in the summer of 2023, the turbine generates approximately 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a monthabout three times what their household consumesin 12 mile-per-hour winds, the average wind speed in their area. CREDIT: KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal. AEMICROWIND St. Ansgar United States

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Copyright KC McGinnis 2025

Updated Apr 2025

Location Iowa

Can Home Wind Turbines Take Off in the U.S.?

For now, small wind remains a niche sector. But technological innovations could make it more economically viable.

KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal
Story by Jackie Snow

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KC McGinnis

Can Home Wind Turbines Take Off in the U.S.?

For now, small wind remains a niche sector. But technological innovations could make it more economically viable.

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