Portsmouth Hastens Down the Wind (video)

While federal legislation to reduce our carbon footprint hits gridlock in Washington DC, 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% 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% 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% 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.