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.