Oklahoma Poised to Be
'Silicon Valley of Weather Industry'

In the future, if it's stormin', accurate reports will likely be coming from Norman, where the University of Oklahoma is assembling a major center of meteorological research.
        The university and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are collaborating on the $67-million, 244,000-sq.-ft. (22,667-sq.-m.) National Weather Center (NWC), one of the largest weather research centers in the world. It will contain the university's School of Meteorology as well as five NOAA organizations.
        Now comes investment from the private sector, as Weathernews Americas is building its new headquarters next to the NWC. Nearly 100 employees will be working at the new facility by late summer 2004, providing forecasting services to major airlines, farmers, offshore oil rigs, ocean-going vessels and media outlets. Weathernews officials say logic dictates the move from Chico, Calif., to Norman.

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        "Oklahoma is working hard to become the Silicon Valley of the weather industry," says Jeremy Usher, president and CEO of Weathernews Americas. "The state has a significant amount of severe weather, and people are attuned to the atmosphere. Over the years, the university has put together an impressive meteorology program and has continued to develop research capacity. In order to lay a foundation to be the future leader in this industry, we agreed with the university to locate our operations and technical staff in a building across the parking lot from the National Weather Center."
        Usher says the city's 700 residents already in the meteorology field make Norman a good fit.
        "We currently have a lot of staff in California, which is not a weather-oriented state," Usher says. "Norman has a lot of like-minded folks and is one of the larger meteorological communities in the U.S. We could have located in a business park, but without partnering with the university and the federal agencies, it wouldn't have made much sense for us."
        The Oklahoma Wind Energy Center near Woodward is another weather-related project blowing into the state. The wind farm, a $100-million investment by FPL Energy, operates 68 wind turbines on a 1,200-acre (486-hectare) site. Oklahoma Gas & Electric and the Oklahoma Municipal Power authority will each buy half of the center's output.