Billions of dollars are spent through taxpayer subsidies to promote the biggest industry that we know as ENERGY. GREEN ENERGY to be more specific. Wind energy to be exact. ...I am for positive change in how we use energy and how we produce energy. Wind may fit some communities and not others. Responsible developers should consider this fact and not waste our taxpayer money (yes, we fund these projects through NYSERDA and charges on our utility bills) in order to push poorly planned projects into communities that are resistant to industrial wind projects.

The national news is full of ways to ‘go green.' Every industry is targeted. Alternative energy, renewable products, consumer post recyclables, the list can be exhaustive. Investments are made daily on new products and new technologies that help to promote the good ol' red, white and blue to be green.

And green it is. Billions of dollars are spent through taxpayer subsidies to promote the biggest industry that we know as ENERGY. GREEN ENERGY to be more specific. Wind energy to be exact. Oil tycoons, actors/actresses, politicians, former politicians, etc. are on the bandwagon for industrial wind turbines (IWTs). And any criticisms toward this industry are often met with perceived and real threats.

Granted, it's a complex issue. I consider myself green. In fact, I'm a tree hugger from way back, when it wasn't easy being green. I try to bike to work, prefer to look for locally grown produce, recycle EVERYTHING, conserve energy use and even have a few business ideas for ‘green' economic development. IWTs have the potential to decrease our use of foreign oil, provide clean alternative energy and improve our air quality. These are all claims that I can, on the surface, support.

Lurking beneath these claims are a series of poorly planned proposals in Perry, NY that has divided the community, not to mention neighbors. Despite the benefits that IWTs can bring, they do have their drawbacks. Here are two:

Flicker: This is the shadow effect that happens when blades cross a light source (i.e. the sun). A well-planned industrial wind project ensures placing turbines away from residences and roads minimizes that flicker. The flicker effect is not a figment of the imagination. Flicker can provide real distractions for drivers along busy highways and real health issues for homeowners who are not far enough away. Currently, the local law that provides provisions for the placement of the turbines lacks in defining the placement of the turbines. The recommended placement of IWTs from several manufactures states that IWTs should be at least 1-2 miles away from residents. Manufacturers and developers don't always agree for obvious reasons. The wind developer in Perry had a heavy hand in developing the wind law to maximize the placement of the IWTs.

Noise: IWTs are often placed in rural areas that are normally described as ‘quiet'. IWTs make noise. The manufacturer and the developer admit the effect of noise. Each time the blade of the turbine crosses the plane of the tower of the turbine, there is a ‘thump'. This ‘thump' sound can travel over one mile in distance. Also on a windy and/or humid day, the ‘whooshing' of the blades as they cut through the air can sound like a low flying plane or a roaring engine. There are spots near a turbine in which they sound is minimized (i.e. upwind). And granted, some wind developers stop the turbines if the wind is blowing in a certain direction that is causing reported disturbances. But there are no guarantees that Perry's local wind developer will be as sensitive. In fact, Perry's wind developer as has already proven ineffective to resolve light pollution on a MET tower, despite complaints and letters from our local planning board and residents.

There are many more issues to be considered when planning an industrial wind project. These turbines are not the same turbines that people think of when we talk about the Dutch windmills. The industrial turbines are big. With size, come problems. A big project has big problems.

Is this a case of NIMBY-ism (not in my back yard)? In my case, no. The wind turbines will not affect me. To the folks who live closest to the project and who are opposed to the project, the answer is still the same, no. The issue in Perry has to do with planning.

A properly planned industrial wind project would get my support. Properly planned, by my definition, means that no resident would be subject to any of the adverse effects at any time while the project is running unless an agreement was mutually made between homeowner and wind developer. This agreement would only be binding to the current owner of the property and filed with the local agency. As one state assemblyman and local official stated to me on separate occasions, one unhappy constituent is one too many. Also, properly planned would include responsible taxation on industrial wind projects. PILOTS in the case of industrial wind turbines case are fiscally and economically irresponsible. Not enough local jobs are created from wind projects that constitute the definition of a preferred industry by NYS standards, and not enough of our workforce has the education or training to compete fairly for these types of jobs.

Hopefully our local board feels the same. At the very least, I hope the Town Board of Perry continues its time consuming process of going over each wind project proposal with a fine-toothed comb. That diligence is the only hope for any well-planned project.

I am green. I am for positive change in how we use energy and how we produce energy. Wind may fit some communities and not others. Responsible developers should consider this fact and not waste our taxpayer money (yes, we fund these projects through NYSERDA and charges on our utility bills) in order to push poorly planned projects into communities that are resistant to industrial wind projects.

Web link: http://blog.newvisionparty.org/