Wind Energy

Wind power is a free and inexhaustible ("renewable") source of energy. It releases no pollution into the air or water, and does not contribute to global warming. Unlike fossil fuels such as coal and oil, which exist in a finite supply and which must be extracted from the earth at great environmental cost, wind turbines harness a boundless supply of kinetic energy in the form of wind. Unlike most other electricity sources, wind turbines do not consume water.
 
Adding wind power to the energy supply diversifies the national energy portfolio and reduces America's reliance on imported fuels, stabilizing the cost of electricity, reducing vulnerability to price spikes and supply disruptions, and bolstering the security of our energy supply.  Wind farm development is an excellent source of local jobs, from construction to maintenance. Because good wind resources are often found in remote and/or economically disadvantaged areas, wind power provides steady and significant revenue to rural landowners, farmers, and communities. Wind turbines occupy little surface area, leaving land open for farming, housing, and other uses.
 
Clean Air Council has been a leading regional wind-energy advocate since 1998. The Council led a pilot program in 1999 that allowed the first wind farm to be developed in Pennsylvania. With the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Council currently coordinates the Pennsylvania Wind Working Group, which encourages participation by local leaders in government and business, as well as stakeholders from utilities, wind-energy producers, marketers, contractors, and environmentalists from throughout the state to come together and help build on the strengths of the wind industry in Pennsylvania. 

 

Offshore Wind Energy Project Moves Forward off NJ, DE, MD, VA

A project known as Atlantic Wind Connection has received approval from the US Department of the Interior to make use of a section of the outer continental shelf for offshore wind energy tranmission lines.  The transmission lines will stretch from northern New Jersey to southern Virgina, creating a "backbone" of tranmissions lines along one of the most densely populated areas of the country.  This additional enegry infrastructure, which will interconnect with the existing regional PJM electricity grid, will reduce congestion in an already stressed grid.  Completiong of the pro

read more ...
American Wind Power Grows (Especially in PA) but Policy Uncertainty Threatens the Industry and American Jobs

The American wind industry is growing rapidly, seeing a 50 percent jump in installations from just one year ago.  Yet the uncertainty regarding extention of tax credits for the production of renewable energy (called production tax credits or PTCs) is threatening the future of the wind industry and more.  The PTC policy is set to expire at the end of 2012 and could cause the loss of 37,000 (mostly American) jobs in the wind industry alone.  Conversely, if extended, the PTC could help the wind industry grow to 100,000 (mostly American) jobs in the next four years.  T

read more ...
Pennsylvania Signs Memorandum of Understanding on Offshore Wind Energy

In March 2012, Pennsylvania, along with Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, as well as 10 federal agencies, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to create a Great Lakes Offshore Wind Energy Consortium  to support the efficient, expedious, orderly, and responsible evaluation of offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes.  The full MOU can be found here.

read more ...

rss
Subscribe to the Council's RSS feed or follow us on Facebook and Twitter