Rob Gardiner (BDN op-ed, Dec. 20) does not give a true picture of the possible contribution of wind energy to the New England electric grid.

His projected 900 megawatts of capacity may produce, at a conservative 25 percent capacity factor, close to two billion kilowatt-hours of electric energy if it has a good year. Maine Yankee did five billion when it had a bad year.

Gardiner projects 50 percent more output than Maine Yankee; actually his wind machines will produce 60 percent less. Nuclear plants schedule the once-in-eighteen-months refueling and maintenance work around the low demand season of spring and fall. Nuclear plants run at full capacity during the heating and air-conditioning seasons. Good winds coincide with neither the heating nor air-conditioning season. Wind is a willy-nilly source of electricity, and as such is not very useful.

The wind contribution suggested is a bit over one percent of New England electricity use. If all 900 megawatts of wind capacity is constructed, New England will still get 98-plus percent of its electricity from hydro, nuclear, coal, biomass and natural gas.

I wish Gardiner would explain how many hundred millions of dollars of taxpayer subsidy will flow to windmill investors during the first 10 years operation.

Will someone suggest we build Seabrook II? Now, that would really make a difference!