The Park Slope Food Co-op just announced that it be switching to 100% wind-generated electricity from New York and Pennsylvania. The co-op board voted 66-0 in favor of the switch.
This is the largest private purchase of wind power in Brooklyn to date, and the first purchase of wind by a food co-op in the Northeast, according to Community Energy, which markets “NewWind” electricity around the country.
General Coordinator Joe Holtz: “We want to do our part to lessen U. S. dependence on foreign oil, reduce our emissions of CO2 and harmful pollutants, and raise people’s awareness” which apparently will include encouraging co-op members to make the switch, too.
The 920,000-kilowatt-hour purchase saves 800,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, comparable to taking 58 cars off the road, according to Community Energy.
You can buy wind power, too. One route is to go though Con Edison. Purchasing “25% NewWind Energy®/ 75% Small-hydro” will set you back an additional 1/2 cent per kWh on all usage, according to this Community Energy page.
Discuss: Park Slope Message Boards
My co-op needs help they are charging us fees multiplied per share to pay for fuel this coming winter and a 3.5% raise in our maintenance fees. I have 365 shares. We just had a roof repair that the members agreed to pay per share an assessment to pay for the roof repair. My assessment was about $277.00 which we paid for three years. Two years ago the “board” told us they needed the same fees as an increase in the maintenance until the building could get out of financial trouble. So the assessment has traveled for five years. Today they are telling us that we need to pay the extra 3.5% and the $3.00 assessment. We have always had a reserve it now no longer exist and the board spent $2 0, 000.00 for a black fence to ‘gate’ the shrubs when the building has infrastructure problems in the boiler and the plumbing. There are a lot of floods that are happening and the tenants are being charged for the problems that are in the pipes that are behind the scenes. Where do we go to find out if the board and the managing agents are giving us the real truth? We are not allowed access to their private meetings that they make all decisions then give them to us as decision that cannot be refused. What rights do we have and what laws are in place for us having a right to know? What government funded programs are there for turning our building green in every way possible? How can we get (financial incentives or abatements) help from the federal, state or local governments? Could this wind farm supply our building with electricity too? What are the qualifications and the details in this endeavor and how much does it cost?
Thank You for your response in advance, thank you for listening and for your comment box.
Respectfully Yours,
Mrs. Cheryl Williams-Murray