Mark Hanson is a Community Energy customer in Virginia and a huge supporter of renewable energy and the environmental movement.  Check out what he has to say!

Why is purchasing wind energy, or a REC, important to you?

We all need to create a demand for renewable energy.  I like buying 1,200 kWh of wind power since I drive an electric car to and from work daily (15,000 miles / year) and want to insure that it is running on clean energy (as well as my solar home).  We could drastically reduce our dependence on foreign oil by using cost-effective wind power to charge our cars.

Are you involved with any other environmental initiatives?

I generally attend the electric vehicle conventions, AWEA wind and solar / renewable energy conventions, and write reports for the electric vehicle magazines, Current EVents and EV World.

We all need to promote wind power by writing our local planning commissions and legislators. I've sent letters, but we all need to get involved. 

What motivates you to be environmentally involved and aware?

I've been into renewable energy since the early seventies when it was obvious
that wind and the sun could be used to supply our energy needs.  I then wrote two chapters in Essays on Food and Energy, A New & Improved Electric Beetle and Suntrack Controller.  I have an improved version of the Sun Tracker which improves solar collection efficiency by 30%.

Do you have any environmental best practices you'd like to share?

Buying wind power is certainly cheaper than making your own. Buying 1,200 kWh for $30 monthly from Community Energy is immensely cheaper and creates demand for more beautiful wind farms.

In the past 10 years, do you think it has become easier to "be green"? Why or how?

There are more state incentives now although still not as good as the late seventies.  Hopefully we will have something at the federal level next year. The general public seems more aware now.