Montco turns on the wind power: Lone Democrat official cries foul over how the deal transpired.

Montco turns on the wind power: Lone Democrat official cries foul over how the deal transpired.

Sep 28, 2007 - Knight Ridder Tribune Business News
Author(s): Patrick Lester

Sep. 28

Montgomery County commissioners signed a deal Thursday that will make their county one of the largest wind power users in the country.

The board voted unanimously to convert all of its county-owned buildings to wind power, a move that will increase the county's annual $3.2 million electricity bill about $200,000. Commissioner Ruth Damsker voted in favor of the deal with PECO, one of the region's largest power suppliers and Community Energy, a wind energy and development firm, despite objecting to how negotiations were handled. Damsker, the lone Democrat on the three-person board, who said the wind energy purchase was a good idea, accused Republicans Jim Matthews and Tom Ellis of making a backroom deal without consulting her and without allowing more public discussion on the p oposal.

There was no bidding process involved because the price the county paid is set by federal regulations and PECO is the only company that can deliver power to the county properties, according to John Corcoran, a county spokesman. Because PECO had limited wind energy to provide, the county also partnered with Community Energy, a Delaware County-based firm. The wind energy purchase won't change how the county gets its power. It is buying credits for wind energy equivalent to its annual electricity use -- 29 million kilowatt hours, or enough power for about 2,700 homes. The county still will get energy from other sources that feed into the regional power grid, but it's ensuring that more energy going into that grid is originating from wind power plants.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the 29 million kilowatt hour purchase means Montgomery County's commitment to renewable energy ranks among the top 10 in the nation. It's not the first county to buy wind energy, but it would be the first county of its size to rely exclusively on wind power. It joins Upper Dublin Township and Bridgeport as wind energy buyers in the county. In addition, more than 7,300 county residents and 115 businesses and organizations in the county buy wind power through PECO. Brent Alderfer, Community Energy's president, in a news release called it a "landmark purchase that sets Montgomery County apart as a national leader."

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