Kalamazoo Valley Community College could get $350,000 from Washington for a program that trains wind energy technicians. The money was included in a bill approved by the House. The Senate will consider it next month.

Most of the money would be used for equipment needed to train students to fix very large wind mill generators used by utility companies.

West Michigan Congressman Fred Upton says wind mill technicians are in high demand and have their pick of jobs anywhere in the country. Upton says some of the demand in Michigan will be driven by a state mandate that utilities generate at least ten percent of their power from renewable sources like wind by 2015.

The KVCC program is one of only two of its kind in North America. The other is in western Canada.