They were supposed to offer their recommendations to the county commission late last month, but scheduling conflicts got in the way.

Presiding Commissioner Chris May tells KTVO he expects to hear from the committee in the next few weeks.

May hopes wind energy will help with economic development in Sullivan County, it the same way it's benefitting other rural communites.

MU Extension specialists note the benefits of the alternative energy source.

The landscape in Northwest Missouri is changing. Scattered across three counties, 75 turbines spin to harvest the wind.

University of Missouri Extension specialists say new mapping technology shows there are excellent opportunities for sustainable wind in Northwest Missouri.

"I think they're beautiful on the horizon, and it's something new," said Chris Chamberlain, Rock Port resident. "You're used to seeing open country and now you see these turbines. Now they're spinning and working, and it's pretty exciting."

Only four wind turbines supply all the electricity for the small town of Rock Port, Mo. The city of little more than 1,300 residents is the first and only in the United States to operate solely on wind power.

"That's something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this, that we're doing our part for the environment," said Jim Crawford, University of Missouri Extension Natural Resource Engineer. "It really helps all the local residents as far as stability for our electric bills."

Customers can expect no rate increases in their utility bills for the next 15 to 20 years. MU Extension specialists say each year the wind farms will bring in more than a million dollars in county taxes.

"This is a unique situation because in rural areas this is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues," said Jerry Baker, MU Extension Community Development Specialist.

The alternative source of energy benefits farmers as well. Landowners can make anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a year for having a windmill on their property.

"We're farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," Crawford said. "The payback on a per acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it's as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."

Each wind turbine should spin for the next 20 years. The windmills attract visitors from all over, adding tourism revenues to the list of benefits.