Federal stimulus funds will be used to install a wind turbine at the University of Minnesota’s Rosemount research facility and create Web-based graduate and undergraduate course programs on wind power and technology.

Finance and Commerce reports that the funding was announced last week by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who said Minnesota is one of three universities to receive a combined $24 million to study wind energy technology and research, development and educational opportunities.

The other universities are the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, and the University of Maine, which will connduct advanced rotor and drive-train mechanical control testing and testing offshore wind turbine prototypes.

The planned Minnesota wind turbine will be used to study mechanical power transmission and electric generator systems.