Jeffrey Hollender: The Ultimate Power Play

For a few years now, I have been thinking about ways to generate my own electricity for my family's home in Vermont. (Household spats between parents and children generate heat but not much power.) For the last 18 months, I've patiently waited for our local alternative energy company to bring their wind turbine product to market. While they work on perfecting their technology, I've decided to move ahead with a 10 kilowatt Bergey wind turbine. I spent much of a weekend clearing the site where the turbine will be installed. (There is something cathartic about clearing land. I always experience a degree of physical exhaustion that is uncharacteristic of any other type of exercise.) The next step in the process is securing a permit. Sadly, Vermont has been unwelcoming to wind power. Governments at all levels in the United States need to prove their commitment to curbing dependence on foreign oil by providing support and incentive to homeowners who are willing to make their own investment in renewable ... (link)