How is Enron's recent bankruptcy going to effect wind power in Pennsylvania and around the country? I know they were a major player in that industry?

The Enron fiasco is definitely a big deal, and its affects will be felt in this country for a long time to come. Still, it is unlikely that Enron's collapse will have any affect on the Somerset or Mill Run wind farms recently built in Pennsylvania.

Enron Wind Corp manufactured the turbines used by those wind farms. But the farms themselves are run and maintained by an entirely different business. Thus far, the joint venture of Atlantic Renewable Energy Corp and Zilka Renewable Energy that runs the farms seems to be doing fine.

What's more, Enron Wind Corp is currently planning to sell its turbine making business to General Electric. If the deal is approved, the proceeds will go to pay off some of Enron's creditors and GE will begin getting into the renewable energy business -- a pretty decent outcome, considering the circumstances that led to it.

From the looks of it, wind power in the US should not be severely impacted by the shady dealings of Enron. For more information on the state of wind energy, I suggest visiting the American Wind Energy Association website at: http://www.awea.org/

See past questions here.

Submit your question by emailing us at talktous@greenworks.tv