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PA Wind Energy: Press Releases and Articles
Pennsylvania Colleges & Universities Increase Wind Energy Commitment
Community Energy Press Release, 12 April 2005
Wayne, PA - The Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy (PCIEP), in partnership with leading wind energy marketer Community Energy, Inc. (CEI), acknowledged its member colleges and universities for increasing their commitment to Pennsylvania-based wind energy. These nine institutions of higher education announced an increase in their purchases of wind-generated electricity for some of their energy usage.
The wind purchases are part of a campaign launched by CEI and PCIEP called "Getting to 10% Wind". The campaign encourages Pennsylvania colleges and universities to increase their existing wind energy purchases to match at least 10% of their total usage with wind energy. To date, 34 PCIEP members are purchasing wind energy, representing nearly half of all colleges & universities purchasing renewable energy in the nation.
The universities who have signed on, and the percentage of their energy coming from wind power include Eastern University (32.2%), Dickinson College (12.1%), The University of Pennsylvania (10.4%), Juniata College (10.4%), Allegheny College (10%), Chatham College (10%), Duquesne University (10%), Keystone College (10%), and Mercyhurst College (10%).
"Pennsylvania's colleges and universities are at the forefront of addressing some of our most pressing environmental issues, so it only makes sense these same institutions would take a leadership role in advancing cleaner technologies," Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. "The combined wind-power purchases of these colleges and universities will have a tremendous impact on growing the market for renewable energy resources and increasing the demand for environmentally friendly electricity generation. All of this is part of the new energy industry taking shape in Pennsylvania --- one that will help to ensure fuel price stability, promote domestic employment and economic development, and improve our environment."
Combined PCIEP member wind energy purchases now total 92,200 megawatt hours (MWh) or the equivalent of 23 wind turbines, constituting the largest non-governmental aggregated commitment to wind power in the U. S. PCIEP's member institutions' decision to purchase pollution-free wind power mix in Pennsylvania reduces the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to planting nearly 7.5 million trees, not driving 96 million miles, or taking 15,121 cars off the road each year.
Donald A. Brown, Director of PCIEP and Senior Counsel for Sustainable Development at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is thrilled at the response. "By making commitments to wind energy, Pennsylvania colleges and universities are leading through example on important public policy questions. Because the United States urgently needs to move toward greater use of renewable energy not only to reduce the threat of climate change but also to achieve energy independence, Higher-education in Pennsylvania is creating a path for others to follow on a matter of great national importance."
"We are proud of those colleges and universities who have accepted the challenge to purchase 10% or more of their electricity from wind, and we know that their commitment will inspire others to follow their lead," said Brent Alderfer, President and CEO of Community Energy, Inc. "The more Pennsylvania customers who sign up to purchase clean, emission-free NewWind Energy®, the more Pennsylvania wind farms will be brought online, creating jobs, local economic benefit, and a better future."
Other schools who are purchasing NewWind Energy® are Drexel University (8.3%), Franklin & Marshall College (7.1%), Carnegie Mellon University (6%), Gettysburg College (5%), and Penn State University (5%).
Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) is a leading marketer of wind-generated electricity, under the NewWind Energy® brand. CEI markets power from over 200 MW of wind energy in New York and the Mid-Atlantic. CEI partners with retail electric suppliers to offer a wind energy choice directly to consumers. CEI cites its partners and customers, which include over 12,000 in Pennsylvania and many of the largest retail purchasers of wind energy in the country, as the reason for its success in bringing wind energy to market in new regions of the country. CEI has wind projects under development in Pennsylvania as well as several states east of the Mississippi River, and nationally has over 2 billion kilowatt hours of wind energy sales.
The Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy ("Consortium") is an organization comprised of environmental policymakers and Pennsylvania colleges and universities. The Consortium supports greater integration of environmental and sustainable development issues into the mission and operation of institutions of higher education as well as the improvement of environmental and sustainable development policymaking in government. The Consortium is, in part, comprised of the Pennsylvania Departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation & Natural Resources and 52 Pennsylvania colleges and universities (which includes Pennsylvania's 14 State System of Higher Education universities).
Contact for more information:
John Halley
Community Energy: (312) 296-4199
Kurt Knauss
PA DEP: (717) 787-1323
