MURRIETA -- While two men hammered away at bolts as thick as a woman's wrist, Diana Hofman stood in the shade cast by a patch of eucalyptus trees in her back yard.

"You would not have convinced me that this could be done by two guys," Hofman said while the Prevailing Wind Power representatives worked to erect a 40-foot wind turbine on Hofman's property.

In actuality, the work going on Tuesday was made possible by one person -- Hofman herself.

After more than a year of lobbying Murrieta city officials for permission to install an energy-producing windmill on her 2.5-acre lot against the Santa Rosa Plateau, Hofman's push to produce her own electricity paid off Tuesday as the turbine rose before her.

The SkyStream turbine with a 12-foot wingspan is expected to lower her electricity bill 80 percent or completely eliminate her reliance on the power grid. It connects directly into a home's electrical system and when winds reach 8 mph or more the turbine converts the wind's kinetic energy into electricity.

According to the manufacturer's Web site, the SkyStream generates a minium of 4,800 kilowatts of energy hours per year. One kilowatt could light an energy-saving 20-watt light bulb for 50 hours.

"It's the smartest fan I've ever seen," joked Shawn Matheny who, as Prevailing Wind Power's sales director of San Diego County, was one of the two men installing Hofman's wind turbine.

The turbine being installed in Hofman's house was valued at about $16,000, representatives said. But with a $6,500 California energy rebate and $2,500 in federal tax credits she expects to receive, Hofman's out-of-pocket expense will be much lower.

Because her life on a ranch makes her so dependent on electricity -- even getting water from a well to her faucet takes energy -- Hofman said the turbine investment is priceless.

"For me and my husband, this is one of the smartest decisions we could make," Hofman said. "If I can make it so that one of the big bills isn't my electric bill, cool. I wouldn't live long enough to pay off what solar would cost, so I think wind is a wonderful idea."

Hofman is the first in the city's history to install a wind turbine, and as the first Hofman came upon several hurdles to overcome.

Until she brought it forward, Murrieta had no regulations to address wind turbine installation. When she first approached the city in December 2007 with her plan to harness the constant wind that blows through her property with a turbine, she was told she couldn't because there were no rules on the books for them.

Bob Hayes, president of the Redondo Beach-based Prevailing Wind Power, said many Southern California cities have been reluctant to allow turbines in their jurisdiction.

Such was the case in Murrieta until Hofman's struggles became public and a new city ordinance was drafted.

In May 2008, the Murrieta City Council approved allowing the installation of wind turbines in rural residential neighborhoods where individual properties are no smaller than 2 1/2 acres, provided the turbine is no taller than 40 feet.

While some on the council expressed concern that wind turbines might mar the view for nearby homeowners, Hofman's neighbors said just the opposite.

As the warm, constant gusts of air swept through Hofman's land, the 6-foot-long blades began to rotate slowly. The site caught the attention of Hofman's next-door neighbors, who also plan to install a wind turbine.

Moving from their property to hers to watch the turbine rise to the height of the shortest eucalyptus tree in the patch, Mike Orsag complimented Hofman on how "beautiful" the sleek turbine looked.

"The more of them the better," Orsag said. "If that bothers anybody, then they're not doing their part."

Contact staff writer Nelsy Rodriguez at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or nrodriguez@californian.com.