Pennsylvania Develops Wind Power Capability

[Original source: ENS] HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, May 29, 2003 (ENS) - Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Kathleen McGinty, who headed the White House Office of Environmental Quality in the Clinton administration, today offered the support of her office to a wind energy engineering facility that recently relocated from Delaware to Pennsylvania.

McGinty joined clean energy advocates, business leaders, federal and local elected officials to tour the office of AdvanTek International LLC in Boothwyn, Delaware County, where the firm designs and develops its wind turbine rotors. The company, which employs 13 engineers and technical staff, will play a critical role in doubling the land area for wind development in Pennsylvania and improving the efficiency of wind turbines.

"Fostering the development of companies like AdvanTek not only helps to cut pollution and improve environmental quality, but it also gives Pennsylvania a commanding edge in the renewable energy market, allowing for more opportunities in technology development and job growth," said McGinty.

In order for wind power to continue to grow, technologies must be developed to improve turbine power output in lower speed winds that are more common that high speed winds.

AdvanTek's Instantaneous Power ControlT (IPCT) technology is a new form of rotor blade and control system that reduces the cost of wind energy by capturing more power at lower wind speeds.

"IPCT is a game changing technology that will significantly decrease the cost of wind energy production, reduce the need for federal and state subsidies, shorten the distance between supply and demand, and strengthen our energy independence and security," said AdvanTek President Steven Kopf.

AdvanTek will employ an advanced wind turbine test center to demonstrate the IPCT rotor and control technology that can increase the annual output of utility scale turbines by as much as 25 percent.

The technology offers the potential to improve the net present value of a wind farm by more than 50 percent, and more than double the land area available for wind development in Pennsylvania.

"AdvanTek is another example of the public-private partnership represented here today that has made wind energy an economic force in Pennsylvania, providing emission free power to the region," said Thurman Brendlinger, director of the Clean Air Council's Pennsylvania Wind Campaign, which cosponsored AdvanTek's official opening ceremony.

Wind farms in Pennsylvania today produce 35 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 10,000 homes. Another 110 megawatts of wind power is coming on line within the next year.

Demand for clean electricity continues to grow. Recently, the Pennsylvania Turnpike authority, Swarthmore Borough, Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania all increased their commitments to wind power by purchasing New Wind Energy from Community Energy, a Delaware County renewable energy marketing company.

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