Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Editorial: Tilting at wind farms
Opponents won't stop fighting a Highland County wind farm development. The SCC should listen to their complaint then put a stop to it.
From the RoundTable blog
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The developers of a wind farm in Highland County will be required today to appear before the State Corporation Commission -- again. This time opponents claim that the wind mills, finally under construction, might be seen from the site of a Civil War skirmish.
Even if the swooping blades are visible a mile or two away at Camp Allegheny, that isn't cause to halt the project. This objection has been raised before -- and addressed before.
It is a last-ditch effort to stop the wind farm by opponents who want green energy producers, just not in their back yard.
In granting a conditional use permit in 2005, the Highland County supervisors required Highland New Wind Development to evaluate the impact on the battle site's viewshed. That requirement was reinforced two years later by the SCC when it required as part of the permit that Highland Development work with the Department of Historic Resources. The department claims in a complaint to the SCC that the developer hasn't taken concerns seriously. The developer claims it has.
Hence, the hearing to sort it all out.
Unless there is evidence Highland New Wind has recklessly proceeded without thought to how its turbines might be viewed from the remote and infrequently visited battlefield, then the SCC should dismiss the complaint. That the turbines can be seen shouldn't be enough to halt the project.
While it is important to protect Virginia's heritage, it is just as important to look for ways to meet the increasing demand for electricity without causing further harm to the environment.
Some in Highland County shudder at the impact the turbines might have on their views. The towers and blades are far more pleasant to the eyes, though, than a mountaintop leveled to retrieve coal. And the towers' visual impact is far less damaging than clouds of pollution wafting from coal-fired plants.
Virginia, like the rest of the nation, must move from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Wind plays a role in new energy, and places must be found near existing grids where the wind is reliable. Not all will be suitable for development, but the Highland site is.
