Energy-starved Nicaragua is turning to wind as it tries to reduce its dependence on oil-based power, According to AP. In January, the country will begin operating 19 windmills that have the potential to generate 40 megawatts of energy. Energy Minister Emilio Rappaccioli said the $90 million project will be operating at full capacity by the end of January and contribute 6 percent of the country's total energy needs. Rappaccioli said the new project will save about $9 million a year in fuel costs, at current prices. The lead developer on the operation is Arctas Capital Group LP of Houston, Texas, which says it is in advanced stages of development for another 40-megawatt installation. The 126-meter (410-feet) high windmills, installed by Suzlon Energy Ltd. of Pune, India, were set up on the edge of Lake Nicaragua. They sit in the shadow of the twin volcanoes Concepcion and Maderas on the lake's Ometepe Island, and have become a tourist attraction of sorts. «They remind me of Don Quijote,» said Danilo Gutierrez, a professor who drove from the capital of Managua with his family to see them. The project's Canadian manager, Sean Porter, says officials are considering adding 19 more windmills.
