Proposed wind turbines on East River Mountain are creating controversy and questions for residents in Tazewell County.

In an effort to answer those questions, county officials took a trip to a wind turbine farm in West Virginia.

Supervisor David Anderson, Bluefield, Va Mayor Don Harris, and Town Manager Todd Day met with B.P. and Dominion Energy to get answers to the questions circulating regarding the wind turbine project.

"When you're talking about a 400 foot windmill, most people can't comprehend how big that is, and I couldn't either until I saw this." explains Don Harris.

It's a structure 13 times the size of Bluefield, Virginia's tallest building.

The magnitude of these structures shocked our county officials but will they generate revenue of the same magnitude?

"Land owners get their annual fees from what is produced. Then also the county would only be able to do the personal property tax. And a personal property tax would be on each individual wind turbine. And under personal property, it would depreciate each year too." says Supervisor David Anderson.

The construction phase would create some revenue as well.

Harris adds, "This is a long term project, there will be 150 jobs created for about a period of 8 months. There will be 10 full time jobs after that."

As for local energy, there is no guarantee the power produced would be put to use in Tazewell County.

"It usually produces 2 mega watts per day, which will service up to 500 homes. But everything goes back into their PJM grid which is a 13 state grid." Anderson explains.

Size, safety, power and revenue- all questions these officials asked and will answer for the community in the coming weeks.

"I think the biggest concern of everyone around here, of course, is wanting more information, how it's going to effect them, what impact." says Anderson.

There is a public hearing scheduled for February 3rd.

The board will meet at 5:30pm at the County Administrative Building.

However, they will not be at Tazewell Middle School until 7:30.

At that time, they will hold the public hearing on the County Comprehensive Plan.

The hearing on the Ridge Line Ordinance will start at 8:00 pm.