August 31, 2007
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON TWP. – The Procter & Gamble plant off Route 87 could partly be powered with electricity generated by wind turbines if a proposal to place a turbine facility in the southern part of Wyoming County comes to fruition.
BP Alternative Energy recently asked P&G if it could plug a proposed turbine facility into the electrical grid through a Penelec substation located on the company’s property, according to P&G spokesman Alex Fried.
Mr. Fried added that BP said that the substation at P&G was one of the sites being considered.
During a public hearing on Aug. 22 in Noxen, BP Alternative Energy business developer Kevin Davis said that his company is interested in building a wind-turbine facility in parts of Eaton, Noxen and Forkston townships.
Although he noted that BP was encouraged by readings taken by a meteorological tower in Forkston Township, he also said that BP will only build a facility if the company determines that the area has adequate wind.
Mr. Fried on Thursday noted that before BP could connect a wind-turbine facility with the substation on P&G’s property, technical studies would have to be completed.
P&G now runs on 90-100 megawatts of energy, with half of the power coming from the electrical grid and the other half from an on-site gas turbine.
Mr. Davis, who could not be reached Thursday, also has met with supervisors in other townships.
“Right now, I’m sitting on the fence,” Forkston Township Supervisor Paul Goodwin said. “At this time, we (supervisors) aren’t committing ourselves.”
He added that Forkston supervisors need more information before a decision is made.
Eaton Township Supervisor Ken White welcomes wind turbines and said that the machines will be an asset.
Another Eaton supervisor, Randy Ehrenzeller, said that BP told him that some of the wind turbines, which he thinks could be a good alternative source of energy, would likely be located on ridges off Sugar Hollow Road.
He noted that some residents in Eaton Township have expressed concern about the wind turbines.
“That’s a very picturesque area, and you worry about the visual impact of the turbines,” Mr. Ehrenzeller added.
By Josh Mrozinski
Staff Writer
31 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/31/pg-could-benefit-from-wind-turbines/