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What could be a better present for our loved ones than unspoiled nature in all its beauty? Still, it’s a little hard to wrap. So, to make things easier, the American Wind Energy Association would like to provide a small sample of the items that are now being made with electricity from wind power, a pollution-free, clean, domestic resource.
A growing number of companies have chosen to use wind power for a significant part of their electricity supply. Buying their products sends a signal that their support of wind power is important to you as a consumer, which will encourage other companies to make wind power an important part of their electricity mix.
Emission-free wind power accounts for less than 1% of the electricity generation in the U.S., but it is increasingly competitive in many areas with other forms of electricity generation, and has become the fastest-growing type of generation in the U.S. – averaging over 23% growth annually in the past five years. Your support can build on this momentum so that wind power can provide 6% of the nation’s electricity by 2020—similar to the amount that hydropower is producing today—and build a modern, clean industry that can move forward into the future without the depletion of any of the earth’s resources.
Here are a few gift ideas from the growing number of companies that support wind power:
You can also give a gift certificate for enough wind energy to cover the electricity used for a household's Christmas lights. Utility experts say that five strands of Christmas lights can use about 15% more electricity than normal. Since the average U.S. home uses 650-800 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity per month, buying 100 kWh of wind power would be enough to offset the pollution from a moderate amount of lighting. Costs vary according to the program, but are usually in the range of 2.5¢/kWh, so a purchase of 100 kWh would cost about $2.50. Many utilities offer their customers a green power option. If your utility does not, you can still purchase green tags from a couple of nation-wide green tags marketers. To find out what green power products are available in your area, use the EPA’s Green Power Locator at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/locator.html , or go to the U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network site at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/home.shtml .
For some background on green power, go to the AWEA Green Power Web site at http://www.awea.org/greenpower/index.html . To see a list of companies making a commitment to green power, go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership Web site at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower .
If you buy a gift from one of the companies listed above, be sure to tell them that you are purchasing from them to support their clean energy purchase because clean air and water is the best gift we can give to our children. This is the second annual windy holiday press release. For even more gift ideas, see last year’s recommendations at http://www.awea.org/news/news031209.html .
### AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org |
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©
2004 by the American Wind Energy Association. |
