Wind power is electric these days in Pennsylvania.

Eight wind farms dot ridgetops, and another six are on the way.

But so far it's all been about mountaintop, big-blade wind turbines making electricity for big utilities.

Manheim Township resident Ray H. Heisey believes his mission is to scale down the "green" wind-power movement so individuals can take advantage of the technology and its potential savings. You might call it a "power to the people" endeavor.

For several years Heisey has been dreaming of the day when many of Lancaster County's farmers, homeowners and small business owners have their own personal turbines out back.

"The whole county is in the viable range (for small wind turbines)," says Heisey, 55, an engineer who abandoned a long career at nuclear plants around the world to develop his wind-power dream.

"I want to be able to install a turbine in your backyard and eliminate or put a dent in your utility bill," says Heisey, who formed his one-man company, Airevolution Wind Energy Systems (www.airevolutionllc.com) at 255 Butler Ave. last year.

"I'm getting a lot of calls from individuals who have a relatively small lot and are looking for ways to avoid what they see coming."

He's referring to warnings by PPL and other utilities that rates could rise as much as 30 percent in 2010, after the expiration of deregulation-era caps on rates charged for generating electricity.

There's the Mount Joy Township homeowner who is buying a 1.8-kilowatt turbine. There's also a Marietta homeowner who runs a business out of his home and is tired of paying $4,000 annually in electric bills.

And there's an environmentally conscious Perry County dairy farmer who may buy a 100-kilowatt turbine through Heisey for relief from a $2,200 monthly power bill.

Heisey, who grew up on a farm near Washington Boro, also is the consultant for providing a wind turbine to partially power the proposed Susquehanna Towers condominium-hotel-retail complex in Columbia.

In May, PPL and the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority announced a joint plan to test the possibility of erecting a $24 million wind-to-energy complex at the county landfill on Turkey Point in Manor Township, along the Susquehanna River.

Who knew that Lancaster County packed sustained winds necessary to power windmills?

Apparently, the potential is blowing just above our heads.

The American Wind Energy Association says it takes a breeze of 7 to 10 miles per hour to push a turbine and generate electricity.

Heisey was as surprised as anyone when he studied wind maps prepared by the federal government and a wind-turbine siting company.

Pennsylvania ranked 22nd overall among states for wind power potential. Not surprisingly, the ridges of the Allegheny Mountains and the Poconos were deemed the most productive locations.

But joining mountainous areas of the state as among the best was a significant region made up of southern and eastern Lancaster County, southern York County and western Chester County.

You can find out the wind potential of your own home with an interactive map that zooms to street level at www.pawindmap.org.

For now, Heisey is a dealer and consultant for various wind-turbine manufacturers.

But that's just to pay the bills as he perfects, tests and prepares to manufacture two prototype wind turbines he designed and sees as key to bringing wind power to the the mass of consumers.

Heisey doesn't see a likelihood that huge turbines on 100-foot towers will attract switchover consumers who want to power homes, farms and businesses.

So the engineer has designed 5- and 10-kilowatt turbines that would stand only 35 to 40 feet above ground, which he says should satisfy local zoning ordinances. A minimum half-acre lot would be required for installation, and in cities and communities where housing density exceeds that minimum, more than one homeowner could share a turbine.

One prototype has traditional blades, but another has small blades that rotate in an unconventional plane to better pick up wind from any direction. The turbine resembles a small cell phone tower.

What would it cost a homeowner, farmer or small business?

Heisey estimates complete installation for a homeowner in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. For farmers or businesses, the package would cost $40,000 to $50,000.

Electricity produced would be wired directly to meter boxes. By law, any electricity produced beyond what the home or farm or business needs would have to be purchased by the utility.

Depending on usage, a wind turbine usually would pay for itself within 10 to 15 years, Heisey estimates. In some cases, that payback may stretch to 25 years.

For members of the Plain community, with their increasing need for power to drive both farming and non-farming services, wind-driven energy that could fire batteries would be a natural, says Heisey.

Of course, farmers here in both the Plain and English communities have utilized the power of windmills to draw water since the late 19th century.

Heisey is disappointed that Governor Ed Rendell's proposed $850 million Energy Independence Strategy includes $200 million in rebates to encourage homeowners and businesses to install solar panels but nothing for small wind turbines.

Solar, though a desirable, non-polluting alternative energy source, costs more to install and can't generate as much power year-round as wind, Heisey maintains.

Wind is free and it's non-polluting, says Heisey, noting that currently the United States has tapped only about 1 percent of wind's energy potential.

But do we really want wind turbines popping up on every block?

"I envision landscapes where wind turbines do look attractive," Heisey replies.

"People really need to become more conscious about long-term cleanup costs of other forms of power. People also need to think about whether, in another 20 years with global warming, will you even have a landscape to look at?"

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