While federal legislation to reduce our carbon footprint hits gridlock in Washington D.C., small communities across the nation are quietly going green. See what a small New England town is doing to reduce their carbon footprint by 50 percent and raise money in the process.
Their 1.5 megawatt wind turbine started generating power on March 18, 2009. One year later, the turbine has generated 50 percent of the municipal load. The energy generated is pumped back into the national grid, which helps to offset the energy produced by a nearby coal plant.
The turbine is covering 70 percent of the municipal energy bills for the current year. Plans for two more turbines are already in the works.
Planet Forward is a online social network where creative and innovative ideas addressing global challenges are featured, discussed, and evaluated. It is a project of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.
