The first major wind turbine project in the Southeast is now underway, with three turbines operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority expected to go online next month in Oliver Springs, Tenn. To mark Earth Day 2000, the TVA on April 22 began offering a pilot green energy package to customers of a dozen of its 158 local distributors; residential users will pay about $4 extra per month to get power from renewable sources. So far, almost 2,000 homes and 115 businesses have signed up for the green power option, and TVA hopes to boost that to 8,000 homes by next spring. In addition to its wind power project, TVA already operates four solar collectors. Meanwhile, Seattle’s mayor and a member of the city council write today in an op-ed in the Seattle Times about the city’s Earth Day pledge to work toward meeting all of its electricity needs while producing no net greenhouse gas emissions.
