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C O M M I S S I O N N E W S R E L E A S E |
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Contact:
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Carl DeFebo, PA Turnpike Cheryl Camuso, Community Energy, 610-254-9783 |
September 29, 2005 |
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The Turnpike Commission is the first and only toll road agency in the nation to commit to green power, setting a precedent for the entire sector. The Turnpike will purchase 4.2 million kilowatt hours of wind energy annually from wind-energy marketer and developer Community Energy Inc. of Wayne, Pa. This agreement represents output of more than one state-of-the-art wind turbine. Previously, the Turnpike had purchased wind energy equivalent to 100 percent of its energy usage to operate its certified green building in Harrisburg. "By expanding our environmental commitment, the Turnpike Commission is pleased to contribute to the development of new clean energy resources in the Commonwealth," said Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier. "We are striving to be a forerunner in the use of alternative energy sources." The Turnpike established itself as a national wind energy leader in 2002 through its original agreement to purchase 2.7 million kilowatt hours of wind-generated power per year. "The Commission continues to exhibit leadership that has directly contributed to the development of new renewable energy sources in the region," said Brent Alderfer, president and CEO of Community Energy Inc. "The more Pennsylvania customers who purchase clean, emission-free NewWind Energy(r), the more Pennsylvania wind farms will be brought online, creating jobs, local economic benefit and a better future." The energy is locally generated at wind farms in Pennsylvania. One of Pennsylvania's five wind farms is clearly visible from the Turnpike near Somerset, Pa. The Somerset wind farm - located on the south side of the Turnpike near milepost 115 - has six of the towering wind turbines. "Conventional electricity generation is the nation's single largest industrial source of air pollution, said Kurt Johnson, Director of EPA's Green Power Partnership. "With this purchase, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is providing an outstanding example of environmental leadership." In addition, wind-energy kiosks at the Turnpike's Somerset service plazas (both eastbound and westbound) provide interesting facts on wind energy to motorists passing by the 214-foot-tall towers upon which the turbine blades rotate. When one of the three, 112-foot blades reaches its apex, the total structure height is 330 feet tall, or more than 33 stories. * * * Community Energy Inc. (CEI) is a leading marketer of wind-generated electricity, under the NewWind Energy(r) brand. CEI markets power from over 200 megawatts 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 15,000 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 Turnpike Commission, headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., operates and maintains 531 miles of toll highway. The commission oversees 60 fare-collection facilities, 21 service plazas and 27 maintenance facilities across the state. With 2,330 full-time employees, the commission generates roughly $410 million in annual toll revenues with traffic volume exceeding 180 million vehicles per year (passenger and commercial). Known as "America's First Superhighway," the Turnpike opened to traffic Oct. 1, 1940. The Green Power Partnership is an EPA voluntary program which encourages the use of renewable energy as a way to reduce the risk of climate change. The Partnership supports and recognizes organizations that switch to green power for a specified minimum percentage of their electricity needs. Nationwide, there are currently more than 550 EPA Green Power Partners. The total annual green power commitment by these Partners is over 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours, which is enough electricity to power over 230,000 homes. Additional information is available at www.epa.gov/greenpower. |
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P.O.
Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676 Phone: (717) 939-9551 Fax: (717) 986-9649 |
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