Chrysler may be slow to the party in introducing production hybrids and electric vehicles, but that doesn't mean they haven't been working on cleaner energy. The company has been cooperating with university researchers on growing biofuel feed stocks on brownfield sites, for example. They have also been growing potential biofuel crops at their Chelsea, MI proving ground as an alternative to grass. The company's latest effort is a wind power project, also at the Chelsea track.

The first stage of the project will take place over the next year and a half at Chelsea with the construction of a 264ft tall test tower. The tower will be used to collect meteorological data that will be analyzed in conjunction with the University of Michigan, North Coast Wind and Power and Washtenaw county. Most wind power projects are built near coastal areas or large flat regions in order capture the most undisturbed winds. This project will look at the viability of wind power at higher altitudes. If the data proves favorable, Chrysler will consider construction of wind turbines on the property while the county will look at adding more capacity in the surrounding area. The Chrysler press release is after the jump.

At Chrysler's 2008 model preview last June, executive vice-president Frank Klegon announced that the company was involved in some biodiesel research that included growing soy for fuel production. They had planted fuel crops at their Chelsea Proving Ground and also on a brown-field site in Detroit. This fall they harvested the soy grown at the Proving Ground, processed it and sent it to the NextDiesel refinery in Adrian, MI for production.

There were a number of reasons for deciding to grow soy at Chelsea. The facility has a lot of open ground among the test tracks and the thought was that planting soy in place of the grass could save on the cost of mowing. The biodiesel produced from the soy could be used to fuel the ground support vehicles at the proving ground. Chrysler provided an audio interview with Ross Good, Chrysler Senior Manager, Energy Policy and and Jason Eisenberg of NextDiesel that you can listen to here.

[Source: Chrysler]