Appalachian Power has started a new program where customers can purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset their carbon footprint.  Renewable energy credits are created whenever a renewable energy generator makes power from renewable resources.  Basically, when a wind generation station sells power to the grid, it generates these credits which are certified and sold to individuals or entities like AEP.  Credits are unique so when I purchase RECs, I know that the power we bought was generated at a renewable source.

We took a vacation trip to Canaan Valley 2 years ago and were able to see some wind turbines up close and personal.  They are incredible and massive and pretty neat landscape features actually…sort of like flowers springing from the mountain tops.

Of course, I don’t live super near them but I certainly liked seeing them in action.  The Eastern mountains of WV are a great location for wind turbines and I am so excited to be able to buy power from them or similar sources.  WV is very much a coal state and that is fine (though I think mountain top removal is despicable), but I am particularly excited to be a part of helping to make WV an energy state.  We can make clean energy here.  So, we are planning to purchase RECs to offset our power consumption and make our stay on the 3rd rock from the sun a little cleaner.  We currently average 1447 kwh per month so we will purchase to offset that.  Our next goal, then, is to look around our house and find ways to reduce that number.  Our hot water and oven are electric and I am not compelled to replace those items.  We will likely have to address our normal patterns of usage and look at our other appliances as well.  It should be interesting but will pay off!