June 12, 2006

Energy

The War Against Wind Power Continues

Carroll Andrew Morse

The Washington Post follows up on the Chicago Tribune story about how Congress’s attempt to kill the Cape Wind project has derailed at least 12 other wind-power projects located in the Midwest…

More than 130 wind turbines are proposed for the hilltops of central Wisconsin, but that project and at least 11 others have been halted by the Defense Department as it studies whether the projects could interfere with military radar.

Wind farm developers, Midwestern legislators and environmentalists say the farms pose no risk, noting that there are already numerous wind farms operating in military radar areas. They say a renewable, domestic source of energy such as wind is crucial to energy security and independence. They say their wind turbines are victims of the ongoing dispute between Cape Cod residents and developers of the proposed Cape Wind farm in Nantucket Sound.

The Defense Department study was put in the 2006 Defense Authorization Act -- inserted, say wind farm developers, by senators who want to block Cape Wind.

"This legislation was intended to derail Cape Wind, but it had a boomerang effect and affected a lot of projects around the country," said Michael Skelly of Horizon Wind Energy, a Texas company constructing the country's largest wind farm near Bloomington, Ill.

This spring, facilities in the works in North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and Wisconsin received "proposed hazard" letters from the Federal Aviation Administration saying the projects must be halted pending the Defense Department study.


5:04 PM
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This is one of my biggest pet-peeves.

While I do not believe in shoving unproven costly technology for the sake of political correctness down the throats of the American consumer, wind turbine technology is anything but unproven or costly.

As we have heard time and again, increasing our energy independence will result in increased national security, spur economic growth, and neccesitate the development of new technologies critical to maintaining our global competitive edge.

Wind, wave, solar, and nuclear tenchonology must be embraced if we are ever to make a dent in our energy expenditures.

Shame on Ted Kennedy and the Massachusetts delegation of NIMBYists for setting into motion a disturbing trend that appears to have national momentum

Posted by: johnb at June 13, 2006 6:12 AM

I have liked the project and is better especially that it is not very pollutant. I would have preffered to have one. Thanks

Posted by: ASIIMWE PATRICK at June 17, 2006 4:05 AM