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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A group of Wabash Valley students is taking big steps to help our local environment and to help you save money on electric bills.

At Terre Haute North High School, 10 Civil Engineering and Architecture students are introducing their project known as "Vortex on the Wabash" to the community.

"I have lived here my whole life, and honestly it would be spectacular to be able to make a difference in the city that I have been able to live in," Logan Wenzel, one of the engineering students, said.

Logan Wenzel is just one of 10 high schoolers who took on a collaborative project at the start of the year, and it's for more than just a letter grade.

"We wanted to do this because nowhere else in the United States has really started doing this," he said. "Terre Haute would be completelydifferent and it would change everything about the way that we look at energy in Terre Haute."

Here's how the project works. Basically, the Vortex turbine generates electricity by using natural water sources, in this case, it would be the Wabash River. The water is then redirected from the river by a small channel that runs through the turbine. The water then spins the turbine, transferring it into clean energy.

The goal is to install multiple turbines to produce enough electricity to power the entire city.

"This is real world stuff," Jasen Gibbens, theCivil Engineering and Architecture teacher, said. "You are given a problem from your boss and then you have to fix the problem. I learned that early in my career and I thought, this would be the perfect opportunity to put a bunch of juniors and seniors who want to be here and want to learn and fix their communities [on a project like this}."

Students say a system like this is not only great for the environment, but it could also save residents thousands of dollars in energy costs.

"How would [people in the] state not like having to pay an electric bill? What could you do with that money instead?" Gibbens said.

And for students like Logan Wentzel, this project is more to him than helping the environment and saving money, it's also about bringing more people to the city of Terre Haute for generations to come.

"Most people that live here, especially my age, don't want to stay here, but they should, because living in Terre Haute is a lot better than what they think," Wenzel said. "This can truly help them see what we can do to help."

Now, the hope is to get this project moving forward with further discussion with city leaders soon.

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Terre Haute North engineering students are stepping up to help the environment and save you money on your next electric bill - WTHITV.com