PBS Logo NPR Logo
Public Media for Central Pennsylvania

Conversations Live: Wind Energy

Wind power in Pennsylvania is on track to cut the yearly carbon emissions produced by four coal-fired power plants! Still, wind energy faces many challenges–from expiring tax breaks to claims that industrial wind turbines kill wildlife and make some people sick.  Our experts examine the growing pains surrounding wind energy.

Panelists

Susan StewartSusan Stewart, Ph.D.

Research Associate, Aerospace Engineering and Architectural Engineering

Stewart’s research focuses on renewable energy technology and implementation (resources, hybrid designs, policies and society), as well as thermal fluid system design optimization for improved energy system performance. Among her current responsibilities are developing curricula in wind and solar energy for an online master’s degree program in renewable energy and sustainability systems (RESS), directing the Pennsylvania Wind for Schools program, and working with interdisciplinary groups on wind and solar energy research. Stewart, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Penn State, received her master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in 2001 and 2003, respectively.

Tamara GagnoletTamara Gagnolet

Energy Program and Geographical Information Science Manager, The Nature Conservancy’s Pennsylvania Office

A member of The Nature Conservancy’s energy and climate team for nearly a decade, Gagnolet served on the research team that developed the Pennsylvania Energy Impacts Assessment, which offered a comprehensive look at the current and projected cumulative impacts of energy development on the state’s forests and freshwater resources. Gagnolet currently works as a team member for a similar analysis of energy impacts across the central Appalachians.

More Episodes

Host Lindsey Fenton and guests on the set of Conversations Live
Conversations Live

Opioid Crisis in Pennsylvania

Posted on December 15, 2017

We explore the human impact of the opioid epidemic by talking to guests who have been personally affected by addiction. We’ll also talk about Pennsylvania’s $20 million effort to address it.

 

Patty Satalia and guests on the set of Conversations Live
Conversations Live

Get Your Garden On! (Fall 2016)

Posted on October 5, 2016

Patty Satalia and guest experts share what they’ve encountered this growing season, and provide a checklist of garden chores to do before the chilly weather kicks in. They also take viewer questions.

 

Host Patty Satalia and guests on the set of Conversations Live
Conversations Live

Making Sense of the 2016 Election

Posted on October 27, 2016

amatic, surreal, unprecedented…those are just a few of the words that describe the 2016 election season. With election day less than two weeks away, all eyes are on Pennsylvania. Tonight, our panel of political analysts will dissect the evolving issues—and what they might mean for the future of our democracy.

 

More from Conversations Live »