Cascade Community Wind Company LLC, of Bellingham, has completed its first community-supported wind turbine in Washington state.

The turbine started selling electricity to Puget Sound Energy this month, and subscribers will receive the first credits on their power bills in August.

The turbine project, named 'First Up!', is a remanufactured Vestas turbine with 30-foot blades atop an 80-foot tower. It is located on a 10-acre parcel of private land near Thorp, which is northwest of Ellensburg. It will produce enough electricity to power about 45 energy-efficient homes.

In a Community Wind Energy project, subscribers support the turbine by making an upfront payment, which goes to pay for turbine construction, and then receive a portion of the turbine's output credited to their power bills for the next 20 years. Over the life of the project, subscribers will receive credits greater than their original payment, according to a company press release.

Cascade Community Wind Company has installed a second community-supported turbine at a nearby ranch which should be spinning in early August, and has a third community project planned in the area.

For more information, call 360-306-5331 or visit CascadeCommunityWind.com.