Today, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones announced that the Appropriations Committee has put language into the Energy and Water appropriations bill that will award $1.1 million to Cleveland State University for the construction of four rooftop wind spire towers throughout Northeast Ohio which will provide alternative energy sources for electricity.

As the Northeast Ohio region moves toward the establishment of alternative energy as a key economic initiative, including the development of wind farms on Lake Erie, it is critical to offer various forms of alternative energy. Dr. Majid Rashidi has taken the traditional windmill and turned it upside down into a spiral mechanism. When any fluid goes around a structure an increase in velocity occurs. Dr. Rashidi developed an energy spire that includes multiple, miniature turbines on each of its spires that can generate electrical power at very low wind speeds, something that cannot be accomplished with standard large blade windmills.

Currently, Cleveland State University is developing the prototype of this wind spire for use on the campus with funding for the Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Capital Fund. This prototype will allow Dr. Rashidi to determine the exact energy savings of the wind tower. With the expectation that energy savings will be significant, the federal funds allocated in the Energy and Water appropriations bill will assist in the next phase of the project of building four roof top towers will be constructed throughout NE Ohio, with placement at not-for-profit institutions such as schools, municipal buildings, and hospitals.

"I am pleased to have been able to assist in having this language inserted into the Energy and Water Appropriations bill," said Rep. Tubbs Jones. "As we move forward in this process, I am confident that this and other Northeast Ohio projects will receive broad bipartisan support. This funding is critical to the growth of Northeast Ohio."