When we think of windmillS, most people think of Holland, wooden shoes and tulips. But, as it turns out, windmills are becoming a very modern solution to a modern problem: how to produce electric in an environmentally friendly manner.

The question takes on greater important when you realize that electricity production is one of the largest air pollution sources in the U.S. Much of the current electric energy that Americans rely on comes from the burning of fossil fuels. This process results in a lot of air pollution.

Windmills, on the other hand, are clean. And, U.S. companies are building windmill "farms" throughout the county. Of course, for windmills to work, there must be wind. So, we find the most windmills in the areas with a lot of wind. Not hot air, so the nation's capital won't do. It's probably best to stay away from courthouses as well.

16 years ago, the first wind farms emerged in California. To date, California is still the state that has most operating wind facilities. Recently, planning commenced for facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Many wind studies have been performed to gauge public acceptance. It appears that there is strong public interest in windmill produced electricity. Further, the amount of public acceptance grows after these units have been constructed. Windmills are usually made from steel and are painted light grey. The blades are often fiberglass. The reason they are painted light grey is because this blends in best with the natural background.

According to industry sources, windmills are fairly quiet. While they had a noisy reputation, engineering advances have enabled them to operate without much noise. This means that people should be able to live and work near windmills.

What is even more interesting about wind generated electricity, is that people want more green energy, in other words, energy that does not cause pollution in the production process.

California, which was the first state to open up the electric supply business to free competition, discovered that many consumers have picked companies that supply green electric. These green suppliers provide electricity produced using environmentally friendly methods, such as windmills and solar energy.

A study released in the December 22, 1997 edition of Power Market Week indicated that consumers are prone to say, when asked, that they will purchase green power when it is available to them. This is so even when the green electric cost more money to purchase than does conventional energy. 60% of the responders stated they would purchase a more costly electric service, if that service was better for the environment.

One company providing electric energy to both the California and Pennsylvania markets is Green Mountain Energy Resources located in South Burlington, Vermont. That company offers consumers a variety of blends, a blend being a mixture of conventionally generated electric and green electric. The greater the amount of green electric in a blend, the more costly the blend becomes. According to the company, over 3/4 of its customers are picking more costly blends, containing higher percentages of green electric.

Since green electric is selling, many companies are entering the market. Even traditional producers are entering the marketplace with green alternatives. With such an appealing green market, the real risk is that counterfeit green producers will emerge. One possible safeguard comes from nonprofit companies, such as San Francisco's Center for Resource Solutions. That company will provide truly green suppliers with a "Green-e" certification. Companies awarded this certification must meet rigid standards and consent to annual facility audits.

Certain high profile customers have recently announced their willingness to purchase green energy. In April 1998 Toyota Motor Sales became the single largest consumer to have agreed to purchase 100% green electric, for use at a California facility. And in September, 1998 it was reported that J.C. Penny retained a consultant to reduce energy use at five stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas. Not only do companies making these green decisions benefit the environment, they also benefit their own bottom line because these decisions tend to be favorably received by the public.

So, the answer to our electric woes may be "blowing in the wind." As our nation's appetite for renewable energy production grows, steel, light grey, fairly quiet windmills will become common place in the windier portions of this Country.

The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.