Shaun Sims, Evanston, WY
As a fifth-generation sheep and cattle rancher, Shaun Sims is a man who values family, community, and traditional ways passed down from parents to children.
But nearly five years ago, when a small company approached him about studying how hard the wind blows across his land, Shaun saw an opportunity to try something new to increase his land's utility, as well as generate new revenue for his hometown of Evanston, Wyoming.
After Shaun decided to lease his land to wind turbine owners, money flowed into the local economy, its schools, its building projects, and its paychecks. Shaun's ranch even directly benefited from the wind project, with new, safer road access and more grazing areas for his livestock. His vision will still benefit both his ranch and his community as his grandchildren and the other children of Evanston grow up.
Today, when Shaun is out on the ranch, he enjoys the sight of elk, deer and cattle grazing in the shade of those wind turbines, helping preserve his family's tradition for generations to come.
