Food Co-Op Buys Electricity from Wind Farm

The Park Slope Food Co-op just announced that it be switching to 100% wind-generated electricity from New York and Pennsylvania. The co-op board voted 66-0 in favor of the switch.

This is the largest private purchase of wind power in Brooklyn to date, and the first purchase of wind by a food co-op in the Northeast, according to Community Energy, which markets "NewWind" electricity around the country.

General Coordinator Joe Holtz: "We want to do our part to lessen U. S. dependence on foreign oil, reduce our emissions of CO2 and harmful pollutants, and raise people's awareness" which apparently will include encouraging co-op members to make the switch, too.

The 920,000-kilowatt-hour purchase saves 800,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, comparable to taking 58 cars off the road each year, according to Community Energy.

You can buy wind power, too. One route is to go though Con Edison. Purchasing "25% NewWind Energy®/ 75% Small-hydro" will set you back an additional 1/2 cent per kWh on all usage, according to this Community Energy page.