A small step in the right direction

After much deliberation and a few heated discussions, we've decided to buy all of our electricity from wind generated sources. What does this mean to you, us & the world in which we live? Short answer; we're not entirely sure. We're certain that it's not a panacea for climate change and that some people will strongly disagree with our take on the whole thing, but we have to live up to our convictions and this seems to us a way to put our money where our mouth is.

So you're getting a windmill at New Energy Works?

No, even though a bunch of us in the office think the turbines are neat works of art. New Energy Works [NEW] is buying wind-generated power through RG&E [Rochester's energy supplier] with a program called New Wind Energy.

Why is NEW buying wind-generated power?

Although it sounds a bit cliché, we at NEW are committed to making the smallest negative impact on our environment possible. It started with us recycling timbers for our timber frames, instead of using old growth trees.

How does wind power help the environment, exactly?

Wind-generated power is a clean power source. This means that it is Emission-free, producing no Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, or Nitrogen Dioxide, which are all harmful to us, the Earth and the atmosphere. See it in graphic form.

Wind-power is "fuel free," meaning that the use of wind-generated power makes us free from having to rely on fuels from other regions and countries. It is also an endless form of power, unlike nonrenewable petroleum resources.

Wind power turbines only take up 5% of the land they occupy. This means that because the turbines are raised up in the air 95% of the land can be used for farming, developed, or left wild.

How will wind power benefit me as a customer of NEW?

You'll lose weight, be happier, and become fabulously rich! Unfortunately we can't promise you any of that. We hope that you will feel better making a purchase from a company that has higher goals than just turning a buck. The next time you take a ride with your family on a bike path, or see the evening light of the sun fall through the trees in your back yard, we hope you'll feel a little better knowing by building a NEW home, you have helped make the planet a tad bit healthier.

How do you know NEW's really getting wind-generated electricity?

Because New York's electricity comes from grid power [which is made up of the collection of different power sources] we never know EXACTLY where our power is coming from. We do however contract to purchase some of the output of a company who's entire production is wind generated. The more companies and people buy wind-generated power means that a larger percentage of the grid's power will be clean and environmentally friendly.

What about the "negative" aspects of wind power, like visual pollution?

While it's true that in some communities the idea of a wind farm and large turbine is less than romantic, we happen to think that they're beautiful. To us at NEW the benefits to our environment, the increase in employment of NYS generated power [there are 3 wind farms in NY, and 8 more site prospects], and being able to be free of relying on other countries for power all out weigh the arguments against wind-generated power.

Isn't wind-generated power more expensive?

Wind-generated power is costing us more here at NEW to buy than other forms of power. However this additional cost goes not only to actually buy the power, but support Community Energy in promoting the use of wind-energy, building new plants, and helping communities lobby for clean power alternatives. For an example of how the costing works, RG&E wrote this in an article on the NewWind Energy® program in April, 2004:

"Customers can purchase "blocks" of NewWind Energy®. Each block is equal to 100 kilowatt-hours and costs from $2.00 to $2.50 per block, per month, depending on the number of blocks purchased. The minimum purchase is two blocks per month. A typical residential customer uses 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month, or six blocks. Charges for wind energy are included in the customer’s regular electricity bill. These charges are in addition to a customer’s regular electricity charges."

Who will offset this cost?

There are many factors that go into the price of building a NEW timber frame home, the cost of power being only one of those factors. At this time we are not passing the cost of buying wind-generated power to our customers by raising our prices.

Sources of information for this FAQ come from: Community Energy's publication Catch the Wind, Community Energy & RG&E websites, and NEW company information.