West Virginia boundary commission members Charles Sypolt and Curt Keplinger visited Tamarack Ridge Saturday morning to inspect the site of a proposed industrial wind farm. ...Governor Manchin formed the boundary commission in September after the Pocahontas County Commission alerted him that the wind project might encroach into West Virginia territory. The county commission became concerned after the developer, Highland New Wind Development, LLC (HNWD), issued a site plan with the state line re-plotted on the base topographic map and two turbines very close to the re-plotted state line.

The company planning an industrial wind facility on Tamarack Ridge didn't want to talk about visual impact on Camp Allegheny when it seeks approval to build the 19 gigantic turbines. But a Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) hearing examiner ordered on September 23 that visual impact will be considered when the SCC hears arguments over the company's compliance with permit conditions.

Giant wind turbines are coming close to Pocahontas County and many residents are curious if the windmills will be visible from their homes. A helpful website with a strange name lets you find out with just a few clicks of the mouse. Heywhatsthat.com works in conjunction with Google Maps and provides custom viewsheds from any point on the globe.

More wind farms could cause major problems for West Virginia’s mountains, Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., warns.

Excerpts below are from the May 16, 2007 Proposed Order of WV PSC denying Liberty Gap's application for CPCN (siting permit) for 50 wind turbine project atop Jack Mtn in Pendleton County:

I was in favor of the windmills. However, as time has progressed, my attitude has changed. ...My opinion changed when the Mt. Storm wind turbines were installed in Grant County. I do not mind the look of the turbines during the day. (from a distance) However, the lights at night detract from our rural atmosphere to an extreme.