America's energy past is grounded right here in Pennsylvania, where the first commercial oil well was drilled in 1859 and the coal mined from the commonwealth's countrysides fueled the Industrial Revolution. The country's energy future is right here, too, with the potential for Pennsylvania to fuel its own economy by powering the nation with clean, renewable energy projects, such as wind farms. Consider the following:

• The nation's demand for electricity is increasing at 3 percent per year. Currently, a little more than 1 percent of the nation’s energy supply, enough to power nearly 2 million homes, is derived from wind. That amount grows each year. The wind energy industry is growing at a rate of 25 percent to 30 percent year.

• The U.S. Department of Energy is calling for 20 percent penetration of wind energy onto the U.S. electricity grid over the next two decades. The United States has more than 400 times the wind potential that it is currently capturing.

• Pennsylvania is the leading producer of wind energy east of the Mississippi River, generating 153 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 70,000 homes. About 1 percent of the state's current electricity needs are met by wind power. By law, the state must produce 18 percent of its energy from alternative sources by 2020, including wind.

• Since locating to Pennsylvania in 2004, Gamesa has invested $175 million in the state, creating some 1,200 jobs across the state since locating its U.S. operations base here. Gamesa employees are community members and neighbors, including more than 365 employees in the Laurel Highlands and Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania.

• Windmills are a supplement to the overall makeup of the nation's electricity supply. They diversify production and help to stabilize our long-term electricity costs by offsetting the volatility in traditional fuel costs. Studies show that with 10 percent wind energy penetration on the grid, electricity rates decrease. Pennsylvania has less than 1 percent wind energy today.

• Wind energy is critical to homeland security. Our electricity grid is dependent on peaking generators that run on oil and natural gas, both of which have constrained supplies. You cannot operate the grid without ensuring peaking capacity.

• Almost all new electricity generation in the last decade has been fueled by natural gas. Iran, Russia and Qatar hold more than half of the world's natural gas reserves. Increasing electricity production from domestic resources like wind reduces our dependence on such unpredictable countries. Studies show that increasing renewable energy will lower natural gas and electricity prices, saving Americans more than $100 billion over the next 20 years.

• Wind energy enjoys broad support. For example, the National Audubon Society "strongly supports wind power as a clean alternative energy source,” President John Flicker said in the organization's November/December magazine, pointing to the link between global warming and its effects on birds and other wildlife. At least 20 percent of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at greater risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 2.7 to 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to recent United Nations report.

• Gamesa is a world leader in wind energy --- and the most experienced in Pennsylvania --- with more than a 20-year record in wind energy project developments. To date, the company has manufactured more than 10,000 windmills, exporting them to all regions of the world.

• Gamesa is recognized worldwide for its environmental mission. In 2007, Gamesa was selected to become a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which lists 318 of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide based on economic, social and environmental criteria. Only 10 percent of the worldwide companies that are eligible are selected to join the index after rigorous, independent evaluations.