(Photo via Eole Water)

The prairies of the Midwest were once dotted with windmills that pumped groundwater for livestock (and people). Now, Recharge News reports, in the parched desert of the United Arab Emirates, an entrepreneur hopes to again use wind power to extract water – this time, from the air.

The concept is simple: Connect a wind turbine to a compressor/condenser similar to an air conditioner. The cold causes moisture in the air to condense into liquid water, which is collected and piped to the ground.

While the turbines are still in development, a prototype is already capable of producing 100-200 gallons of water per day, according to Eole Water, the company producing the new technology.

Read the whole story at Recharge News.

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.