In 1998, the father and son team, Selim and Michael Zilkha, purchased one half of a small Dallas-based wind development company called International Wind. While the Zilkhaís were well-known in the oil and gas sector, this was their first foray into renewable energy. They were committed to the energy business and strongly attracted to the idea of non-polluting renewable energy in the interest of moving towards sustainability and energy independence. In 2000 the Zilkhaís bought out International Wind and renamed the company Zilkha Renewable Energy. They brought on-board a core team of key employees with diverse interests: the initial team included people as diverse as wind energy specialists, traditional power plant developers, people who had served in the Peace Corps, and worked in public interest organizations.