POCATELLO - Seven months after vandals damaged a 50-meter anemometer tower in the Trail Creek gap, city officials say the structure has been repaired and is again collecting wind data.

The tower, which belongs to Idaho State University, was originally erected in July 2007 to gauge the feasibility of future wind energy farms for the area. The Idaho National Laboratory is assisting with the project.

"The idea is to document whether it is a commercially practical site," said John Sigler, the city's senior environmental coordinator.

The Bannock and Power County sheriff's offices investigated the vandalism, which included support cables being cut and equipment stolen. Sigler said the culprits weren't caught.

The original anemometer tower, built in 2005, was 20 meters high. Researchers gathered wind data from it for 14 months before the taller tower was erected.

The 50-meter tower provided data through September 2007, when the data chip was pulled and downloaded for analysis. Crews found it damaged in April 2008.

After ISU's insurer paid for the repairs, including replacement parts for those damaged and stolen, the anemometer began collecting new data last month.

Sigler said a minimum of one year of wind records are needed from the device before the information is substantive. He said one model the city has investigated involves using wind power to pump water, which could cut expenses.

He added that before the city gets involved in any wind projects, which could involve corporate partnerships, the public will have an opportunity to comment.

"We're not just going to go out and build a wind farm," Sigler said.