Wind power in Pennsylvania - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

There are several wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....

projects operating in the commonwealth

Commonwealth (United States)

Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....

of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

and several future wind farm

Wind farm

A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...

s planned or under construction. The most productive wind energy regions generally fall in mountain or coastal terrains. The northern portion of the Appalachian chain

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

, including most of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is one of the areas with the highest potential for wind energy in the Eastern United States

Eastern United States

The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...

. The mountain ridges of central

Pennsylvania Regions

Geographic regions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America.-Delaware Valley:The Delaware Valley is named for the Delaware River which flows through the region.Consisting of the following counties:* Bucks* Philadelphia* Delaware...

and northeastern

Northeastern Pennsylvania

Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....

Pennsylvania, including the Poconos in the eastern part of the state, offer some of the best wind resources in the region.

If all the wind energy potential was developed in Pennsylvania with utility-scale wind turbine

Wind turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...

s, the power produced each year would equal 38,000,000 megawatt-hours - or 30% of the entire state's electricity

Electricity

Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...

consumption. As of 2010, Pennsylvania ranks 15th in the nation in the production of wind power. The 16 wind projects currently operating in Pennsylvania have an installed capacity

Nameplate capacity

Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...

of 748.23 MW and generate nearly 2,000,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year. That's enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

In 2006, Pennsylvania's legislature

Pennsylvania General Assembly

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...

ruled that wind turbines and related equipment may not be included in property-tax

Property tax

A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...

assessments. Instead, the sites of wind facilities are assessed for their income-capitalization

Real estate appraisal

Real estate appraisal, property valuation or land valuation is the process of valuing real property. The value usually sought is the property's Market Value. Appraisals are needed because compared to, say, corporate stock, real estate transactions occur very infrequently...

value.

In 2007, Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...

became the first wind-powered county

County (United States)

In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

in the nation, with a two-year commitment to buy 100 percent of its electricity from a combination of wind energy and renewable energy

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...

credits derived from wind energy.

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Swarthmore was originally named Westdale in honor of noted painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to Swarthmore after the establishment of Swarthmore College...

as a Green Power Community, — the only one in the Eastern United States

Eastern United States

, for its commitment to buy clean energy generated from wind turbines in mountainous region of western Pennsylvania.

Many smaller wind farms in Pennsylvania are operated by NextEra Energy Resources

NextEra Energy Resources

NextEra Energy Resources is an wholesale electricity supplier based in Juno Beach, Florida. It is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. , a Fortune 200 company. Prior to 2009, NextEra Energy Resources was known as FPL Energy....

, based in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

Wind farms

Name	Turbines	Capacity (MW)	Power (MW·hr/yr)	Location (county)	Year Operational	Status
Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm The Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm is Pennsylvania's largest operational wind farm. The wind farm was built by Gamesa and encompasses parts of Cambria and Blair counties north of Blue Knob Mountain near Altoona. It officially became operational in October 2007 and has 40 wind turbines, each of a 2 MW...	40	80	210,240	Blair Blair County, Pennsylvania -Significant Topographic Features:Brush MountainLogan ValleyMorrison CoveTussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061... and Cambria Cambria County, Pennsylvania Cambria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 143,679....	2007	Operational
Armenia Mountain Wind Farm Armenia Mountain Wind Farm Armenia Mountain Wind Farm is a wind farm in Tioga County and Armenia Township in Bradford County in the Northern Tier region of Pennsylvania. The wind farm has 67 GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines that began commercial operation in January 2010. Armenia Mountain has a combined total nameplate capacity of...	67	101	unknown	Tioga Tioga County, Pennsylvania Tioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro.... and Bradford Bradford County, Pennsylvania -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...	2010	Operational
Bear Creek Wind Power Project Bear Creek Wind Power Project The Bear Creek Wind Power Project is a wind farm located in Bear Creek Township less than ten miles southeast of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania with 12 Gamesa 2.0 MW wind turbines that began commercial operation in February 2006. The wind farm has a combined total nameplate capacity...	12	24	70,000	Luzerne Luzerne County, Pennsylvania - Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...	2006	Operational
Broad Mountain Wind Energy Center Broad Mountain Wind Energy Center The Broad Mountain Wind Energy Center is a proposed wind farm planned for construction in West Mahanoy and Butler townships in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The first phase of the project will include 8 Gamesa 2MW Wind Turbines that are expected to be operational in 2011. Phase two of the...	35	70	unknown	Schuylkill Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania -Notable people:Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....	2011	Planned
Casselman Wind Power Project Casselman Wind Power Project The Casselman Wind Power Project is a wind farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania with 23 GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines that began commercial operation in 2007. The wind farm has a combined total nameplate capacity of 34.5 megawatts, but actually produces about 90,666 megawatt-hours of electricity...	23	34.5	90,666	Somerset Somerset County, Pennsylvania Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...	2007	Operational
Chestnut Flats Wind Farm	19	38	unknown	Blair and Cambria	2010	Planned
South Chestnut Wind Project	23	46	unknown	Fayette Fayette County, Pennsylvania Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....	2010	Planned
Forward Wind Project	14	29.4	77,263	Somerset	2008	Operational
Green Mountain Wind Energy Center Green Mountain Wind Energy Center The Green Mountain Wind Energy Center is a wind power plant near Garrett, Somerset County, Pennsylvania with eight Nordex 1.3 MW turbines that began commercial operation in May 2000. This was the first commercial wind farm constructed in Pennsylvania...	8	10.4	27,331	Somerset Somerset County, Pennsylvania Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...	2000	Operational
Highland Wind Project Highland Wind Project The Highland Wind Project is a wind power plant in Adams Township, Cambria County in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with 25 Nordex N90 2.5 MW Turbiness that began commercial operation in August 2009...	25	62.5	unknown	Cambria	2009	Operational
Laurel Hill Wind Energy Project	35	70.5	unknown	Lycoming Lycoming County, Pennsylvania -Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...	2011	Planned
Locust Ridge I	13	26	68,328	Schuylkill Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania -Notable people:Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....	2004	Operational
Locust Ridge II	51	102	268,056	Columbia Columbia County, Pennsylvania As of the census of 2000, there were 64,151 people, 24,915 households, and 16,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 27,733 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile... and Schuylkill	2008	Operational
Lookout Wind Project	18	37.8	99,338	Somerset	2008	Operational
Meyersdale Wind Power Project	20	30	78,840	Somerset Somerset County, Pennsylvania Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...	2003	Operational
Mill Run Wind Energy Center Mill Run Wind Energy Center The Mill Run Wind Energy Center is a wind farm located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania with ten 1.5 MW Enron Wind TZs that began commercial operation in November 2001. The wind farm has a combined total nameplate capacity of 15 MW, but actually produces about 39,420 megawatt-hours of electricity...	10	15	39,420	Fayette Fayette County, Pennsylvania Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....	2001	Operational
North Allegheny Wind Farm	35	70	unknown	Blair and Cambria	2009	Operational
Rausch Creek Wind Farm	50-60	100-120	unknown	Schuylkill	2012	Planned
Stonycreek Wind Farm	35	52.5	unknown	Somerset	2009	Operational
Somerset Wind Farm Somerset Wind Farm The Somerset Wind Farm is a wind farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania with six GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines that began commercial operation in October 2001. The wind farm has a combined total nameplate capacity of 9 MW, and produces about 25,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, which is roughly...	6	9	23,652	Somerset	2001	Operational
Waymart Wind Farm Waymart Wind Farm Waymart Wind Farm is the second largest wind farm in Pennsylvania, United States. It consists of 43 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines, with a total net capacity of 64.5 MW. The project is located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The wind farm was developed by Atlantic Renewable Energy and constructed by...	43	64.5	169,506	Wayne Wayne County, Pennsylvania As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...	2003	Operational

Location map

Installed capacity and wind resources

The following table compares the growth in wind power installed nameplate capacity

Nameplate capacity

in MW for Pennsylvania and the entire United States

Wind power in the United States

As of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...

since 1999.

Year	PA	US
1999	0	2,500
2000	11	2,554
2001	35	4,275
2002	35	4,685
2003	129	6,370
2004	129	6,725
2005	129	9,149
2006	179	11,603
2007	294	16,819
2008	361	25,170
2009	748	35,159

On February 11, 2010, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...

released the first comprehensive update of the wind energy potential by state since 1993, showing that Pennsylvania had potential to install up to about 4,000 MW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity

Nameplate capacity

, which would generate enough clean power

Electricity

annually to meet the energy needs of 1,168,000 homes.

External links

Pennsylvania Wind Working Group
PA Wind Map, regional non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

that promotes responsible energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...

use in homes and other buildings throughout Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.
Penn Future: Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future profile on Wind farms in Pennsylvania.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Wind farms

Location map

Installed capacity and wind resources

See also

External links