New Group Will Push For More Wind Turbines

Scott Detrow / StateIm­pact Pennsylvania

A Cam­bria County wind farm

A new group called ChooseP­A­Wind is tout­ing the ben­e­fits of alter­na­tive energy.

Essen­tial Pub­lic Radio has more on an event the coali­tion of green energy com­pa­nies held in Pitts­burgh this week.

A new wind energy coali­tion rolled out the pro­gram in Pitts­burgh with the goal of edu­cat­ing the pub­lic about the ben­e­fits of wind energy, and how to buy it locally.

Cur­rently, Penn­syl­va­nia has the capac­ity to meet 6.4 per­cent of its energy needs from wind, Bellezza said. But in 2010, only 0.8 per­cent of the energy con­sumed in the state came from wind gen­er­ated in the com­mon­wealth, accord­ing to the most recent fig­ures from the Penn­syl­va­nia Depart­ment of Envi­ron­men­tal Protection.

Usage is low, largely, because wind is more expen­sive. Switch­ing to wind power would add about $12 per month to the aver­age home’s elec­tric­ity bill. At a time when energy prices are falling, con­vinc­ing con­sumers to pay more might be a tough sell.