madison town in New York has been chosen as the site for a new project to harness wind power for producing electricity. Estimated to cost us $16-million, the project has been undertaken by us company pg&e Generating, which owns a fleet of conventional coal and gas-powered plants and some hydroelectric dams besides selling power in the open market.
According to senior vice president of pg&e Christopher R Sauer, customers for power from the Madison project will mainly be those companies and institutions, like universities, who are willing to bear the burden of an additional five or 10 per cent on electric bills in return to be able to take pride in using power that is generated free of pollution.
While farmers who have leased land for the project expect it to boost the local economy, pg&e officials maintain that the basic aim is to encourage the nascent us market for "green power." Experts point out that improvement in technology over the last 20 years has cut down on the cost of power from wind turbines by more than 80 per cent -- from about 38 cents a kilowatt-hour to three-six cents a kilowatt-hour.
Sauer pointed out that wind is the purest source of energy for the environment-conscious consumer. "It is the greenest of the gree," Sauer said.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.