Residents in Seadrift may notice a new addition to the Seadrift skyline, as a new 121 foot tall wind turbine was recently erected. The Northern Power wind turbine is located at the North end of Orange Street near the City of Seadrift sewer plant and was installed by Cascade Renewable Energy from Grand Rapids Michigan. Funding for the $719,500 project came from combined grants which covered $700,000 of the total cost. The City of Seadrift will pay the remaining $19,500.

The wind turbine generator is rated at 100kw and will supply 60% to 80% of the electricity to the sewer plant saving the City of Seadrift an estimated $1800 to $2400 monthly. American Electric Power (AEP) is installing the needed transformers and special metering should there be excess power produced so it can go back to the electric grid. Currently there is no provision in Texas to pay producers for any power going back into the grid if it exceeds their needs, unless they are a member of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The grant writing was done by GrantWorks of Austin, Texas.