Once again, the wind energy industry wants to avoid reasonable regulations to protect wildlife. (RTD 1/19/08) On their behalf, Senator Wagner, ( R Va Beach), has submitted a bill which would exclude wind factories with less than 50 megawatt capacity from any state regulations. For six years, I have watched this fledgling Virginia industry at every avenue, seek to avoid the issue of wildlife protection. ...We taxpayers have a right to demand that these developers be responsible, and especially that our subsidies to the wind industry not be used to the detriment of our wildlife.

Once again, the wind energy industry wants to avoid reasonable regulations to protect wildlife. (RTD 1/19/08) On their behalf, Senator Wagner, ( R Va Beach), has submitted a bill which would exclude wind factories with less than 50 megawatt capacity from any state regulations. For six years, I have watched this fledgling Virginia industry at every avenue, seek to avoid the issue of wildlife protection.

Testifying on New Highland Wind before the SCC last fall, Merlin Tuttle, founder and president of Bat Conservation International, pleaded for reasonable protections for Virginia's natural heritage, especially bats and birds. He has warned that without protections, currently proposed wind turbines in the region could threaten us with many thousands of bat kills each year, eliminating whole species of this essential insect predator. Highland County is home to at least one endangered bat species.

The outcome of the hearing for Highland New Wind was modest, with a maximum of $100,000 per year for remediation; when this 19 turbine, 38 megawatt facility will garner an estimated $19 million in subsidies over 20 years. ( At 5% interest this is $950,000 per year!)

We taxpayers have a right to demand that these developers be responsible, and especially that our subsidies to the wind industry not be used to the detriment of our wildlife. With this bill, the public would not even be entitled to know if these 400 foot tall turbines with 300 foot blades are killing bats and birds. Proposing this exclusion of wind energy from reasonable oversight once again shows that some wind barons are concerned not with being green, only with getting green, the greenback dollar.