Pennsylvania’s wind debate | Morning Newsletter
And combating Philly’s “hope deficit”
The Morning Newsletter
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Happy Friday. The weekend is so close.
While the Jersey Shore controversy on wind turbines has dominated headlines lately, Pennsylvania has its own debate on the issue.
Our lead story explores the tension that’s been swirling around Pennsylvania’s wind energy.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Pennsylvania is home to more than two dozen wind farms.
While none were met with the same level of controversy seen in New Jersey’s offshore wind plans in recent years, some Pennsylvania projects have seen significant pushback for the same environmental and aesthetic concerns.
Reminder: Last week, Danish offshore wind developer Orsted pulled the plug on the New Jersey project, citing economic reasons. However, some proponents blamed “an ugly and deceitful public relations campaign by partisan Republican mouthpieces with ties to big oil.”
Pennsylvania’s wind turbine farms generate enough energy to power 350,000 homes, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. New Pennsylvania wind projects have slowed significantly in recent years, but mostly for logistical reasons.
Notable quote: “Many of the windiest locations have already been developed, which may be a factor in this decline,” Michael Sell of Saint Francis University’s Institute for Energy told The Inquirer.
But there are Pennsylvanians who have concerns about wind energy, and many coalesced around the group, Save Our Allegheny Ridges, or SOAR, which aims to “protect forested ridges in the state.” Laura Jackson, the group’s president, said she started the group to help protect birds and bats and that the group has helped protect 23 townships “under threat of wind development.”
Keep reading to learn about the wind projects in Pennsylvania that have faced pushback.
Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker outlined how she plans to build her new administration that will begin in January.
In her own words: “I said on the campaign trail that our city is functioning with what I referred to as a ‘hope deficit,’ and this is not the time for us to point fingers as to why,” she said. “But this process is to set the foundation for how we want to bring hope back to this city, and we begin that today.”
During an hour-long news conference, Parker laid out her 40-member transition team along with various subcommittees. Those groups will help her hire for key roles, develop policy proposals, and prepare to take office.
Keep reading to learn how hiring will work.
What you should know today
We mapped out where the Working Families Party grew its base to beat out Republicans. The growth was strongest in Black and low-income communities.
University City Townhomes is slated for demolition before the end of the year. Former residents say the fight to keep affordable housing on the site isn’t over.
Republicans’ stance on abortion and LGBTQ issues may have cost them elections in the Philly suburbs.
Two days after Cherelle Parker won the election for Philly mayor, she gave a hint on her position on the proposed Sixers arena. She indicated that she won’t be swayed by the opposition of Chinatown alone when evaluating the proposal.
A Temple medical student and a radiologist want to teach physicians to interpret X-rays of Black patients with braids, locs, and twists.
Rainy fall weekends resulted in a dip in sales for pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and corn mazes.
There were long lines and dashed hopes as fans lined up at the Mitchell & Ness flagship store in Center City to snag the “Princess Diana” throwback Eagles jacket.
🧠 Trivia time
Philly’s holiday tree arrived at City Hall earlier this week.
How tall is it?
A) 25 ft
B) 30 ft
C) 55 ft
D) 60 ft
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
💻 Anticipating: Reporter Anna Orso’s Reddit AMA today at 1 p.m. The general election came and went, but there’s still a lot to consider. She’ll be answering your questions about what went down, what happens next, and what the results mean for the future of our city. Join in here.
💭 Wondering: Greyhound moved its pickup and drop-off location again. How much will this impact ridership?
👀 Watching: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced he won’t seek reelection in 2024.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Founded in South Philly 🍩
ADORNED FLUTES
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Becky Bowlby, who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Jason Kelce.
Photo of the day
Thanks for hanging out this morning. It’s been a jam-packed news week. Enjoy your weekend. 👋🏽