Windy Future for Manahoy

High on a mountainside outside of Mahanoy City, 13 wind turbines, each taller than the Statue of Liberty, dominate a landscape where veins of coal deep beneath the ground fueled the Industrial Revolution. To some, the turbines are an eyesore that put birds and other wildlife in harm's way while making just a small dent in the nation's energy needs. To others, the white towers and blades are majestic -- symbols of technology that bring with them clean energy. As the debate goes on, the turbines are going up in record numbers -- a trend that's expected to continue as the clean energy industry moves to take advantage of concerns about global warming and rising fossil fuel costs. The Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Schuylkill County, developed by local entrepreneur Joe Green, who sold it to a multinational company, added 26 megawatts -- enough power to supply 6,300 homes for a year -- when it went online in June. It's the only one to go online in the state this year, but at least three more are expected to be operational in the next few months.