Gone with the Wind: PECO Wind is defunct, but you can still buy local, renewable energy

story by Liz PachecoSince 2004, the PECO Wind program has allowed customers to purchase renewable electricity that supported wind projects in Pennsylvania. But as of December 31, the PECO Wind program ended, leaving 20,000 customers without service.

The good news for these 20,000 customers–as well as anyone interested in buying renewables–is that there are plenty of affordable options. Be careful though, not all alternative energy programs are created equal. Just because a utility company operates locally doesn’t mean their electricity suppliers are local. It’s not uncommon for wind and solar energy to come from outside the state, even the other side of the country.

Here are five green energy suppliers operating in Pennsylvania:

• Clean Currents, cleancurrents.com

• Community Energy, communityenergyinc.com

• Energy Co-op, theenergy.coop

• Green Energy Collaborative, citizenpower.com/GEC

• Washington Gas Energy Services, wges.com

For more information, check out PennFuture’s Energy Center (pennfuture.org). There you can find out how to buy clean, renewable energy and browse a list of green energy suppliers in Pennsylvania. Another helpful resource is ChoosePAWind (choosepawind.com).