The wind farm, which is still under construction, is about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Springfield and Stewart, Fayette County. Cohon said the wind-turbine generated electricity is more expensive than electricity produced by fossil fuels. He said to compensate for the added expense, the university would initiate programs to encourage innovative ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce demand. Coal production and nuclear power, much criticized by environmental groups, are at the heart of the energy policy debate. Coal is relatively dirty and dangerous to produce and coal-fired electric power plants pollute the environment.
Nuclear power poses daunting problems.
It is difficult to dispose of nuclear waste, which remains radioactive for thousands of years. And the risk of reactor accidents, such as the one at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island in 1979, is vivid in the public mind. And traditionally, nuclear power plants are expensive to build and maintain. But in the wake of the California energy crisis, coal and nuclear power appear to be riding a wave of popularity. Nuclear power advocates, for example, took heart in a Newsweek poll released in April showing that 53 percent of Americans favor building nuclear power plants to help the United States meet its energy needs.