A presentation about renewable energy was presented to the Urbana City Council at their meeting Monday. Lesley McCain, Midwest Director of Business Development for Community Energy, Inc., presented wind development as a source of renewable energy.

“Wind is emission-free so it’s a great greenhouse gas reduction tool,” McCain said.

Community Energy, Inc., a wind development company, builds wind farms and links new wind farm development directly to the customer.

In Naperville, Ill., residents can sign up for a program to support wind power that can cost anywhere from five to $15 per month, said Robert Myers, manager of the planning division for Urbana. The charge shows up directly on residents’ electric bills, he said.

“I know the council is very eager to hear about ideas like this,” Myers said.

Keeping with the green theme of the meeting, Julie Birdwell of New Prairie Construction in Urbana addressed the council about her straw bale home on East Main Street in Urbana, which is a first for the city. The walls of the house are constructed from bales of straw then covered in stucco, said Brandon Bowersox, Ward 4.

“My interest was to bring a more economical, sustainable building to Urbana,” Birdwell said.

The house uses one fifth of the energy a normal house’s heating and cooling requires, Bowersox said.

Urbana City Council

The next meeting of the Urbana City Council will be held Monday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at the Urbana City Council chambers, 400 S. Vine St., Urbana.