Where's that, the world's energy leaders may soon be asking, their heads bent over a map. Attleboro?

Yes, Attleboro.

The news out of General Compression Co. Inc. on Water Street is a welcome antidote to the often dour forecasts about global fuel resources.

So we join the chorus of local supporters raving about General Compression's foray into compressed air wind turbines capable of producing up to four times as much power as current models.

It was exactly one year ago that this spinoff company was created by Mechanology Inc. to license its compressor/expander technology for use in the wind energy business. What a first anniversary celebration. General Compression, says the company, has been granted an exclusive worldwide license to this technology.

The company has been focusing on collecting energy from the wind as compressed air, storing that air in pipes and underground geologic features, and expanding the air - a free commodity - on demand to make electricity.

"We're delighted," said company president Michael Marcus in announcing this week the acquisition of $5 million in funding which will enable his company to commercialize its technology.

Pairing wind power with storage technology, Marcus said, would remove several obstacles to utilizing wind efficiently for power generation and could convert wind farms from a limited to a major source of future electricity.

This announcement comes at a time when severe electricity shortages are being forecast in many areas of the world. Investment in renewable sources of electricity is being touted by some presidential candidates and by economists as vital to our future.

Wind is already competitive with conventional sources in many markets, according to an article this month in The Economist touting advancement of solar power as an option to existing resources.

"Unlike fossil fuels, which produce significant amounts of pollution and enormous amounts of greenhouse gases," states The Economist, "the sun's energy is clean and its supply virtually limitless."

True, also, for the wind.

Together, these technologies will help offset unprecedented electricity consumption, including that required for computer servers and other plug-ins that pepper the everyday household.

Nothing happens overnight, but the contribution in the works from General Compression is sure to catch the attention of everyone worried about how we're going to keep the lights on and the air conditioner running.