Will wind power ever make up 100 percent of our electrical needs? Not by a long shot. The wind isn’t reliable enough and you can’t just put up a 400 foot tall wind turbine anywhere. The location must be, well, windy. ...I took a detour and decided to ask a few residents who lived near the “wind mills” what they thought of them. I found out that they are controversial, and no one I talked to wanted their names printed.

Much as I like the idea of using these nontraditional methods for power generation, we need a dose of facts when anyone comes forward to propose such changes in power supplies. For example, wind is certainly a non-carbon source, but it's not a non-polluter. ...we also need to keep the "law of unintended consequences" in mind. We need to add these sources to both fossil and nuclear plants and traditional generation systems, which work without wind or sunshine.

It takes about 800 1,000-megawatt power plants or their equivalent to run the country on a daily basis. To be conservative, let's say 700 1,000-megawatt plants. Power demand in the United States goes up possibly a little more than 2.5% each year, but again, to be conservative, let's say 2%. This means we must build 14 1,000-megawatt power plants every year just to keep up. Kohler would have us build 7,000 2-megawatt windmills instead, blissfully ignoring the fact that the 14 1,000-megawatt thermal or nuclear power plants still would have to be built to fill the considerable gap left by non-operating windmills when the wind doesn't blow.

Now, how about a project that is 70% inefficient, could cost around $240 million of your tax money and does irreparable damage to environmental and housing economies, say, like a wind turbine farm? I support progress and the development of alternative sources of energy, as long as actual progress is being made. Common knowledge says that the wind doesn't blow every day. However, even if it is windy, the wind must reach speeds near 25 miles per hour for the turbines to operate efficiently. And if the wind flies above 55 mph, the turbine must be turned off. Thus, numerous studies have shown that wind turbines often are efficient only 30% of the time. Nobody would buy a television, car or computer that would work only 30% of the time. So why would we pay $3 million for a lemon?

Why a recall election? Concerned taxpayers gathered information from minutes of town, planning and zoning, and Calumet County Board meetings that raised a conflict of interest concerning Supv. Jerry Criter, specifically that he planned to put wind turbines on his property and voted on changing wind turbine ordinances at these meetings. ...His actions, after being warned by the DA to not vote on issues where there might be a conflict of interest, prompted this recall election.

Almost five years ago, a group of people in the Town of Marshfield, in Fond du Lac County, joined together to try to stop the wind development in that town from being ramrodded through the town board. Some of the board members who were also farmers signed lease agreements to put turbines on their land. Four families, including mine, eventually filed a court action against the town. Now, people come forward and say they wish someone had done or said something to prevent what happened. The fabric of the community is tattered at best.

Almost five years ago, a group of people in the Town of Marshfield (FDL County) joined together to try to stop the wind development in that Town from being 'ramrodded' through the Town Board. Some of the Board stood in line to get money for towers; when in fact, they already had received money for their "consideration". That group of people eventually filed a court action against the Town. The same storyline is accurate for other towns in that County. Now, people come forward and say they wish someone had done or said something to prevent what happened. The fabric of the community is tattered at best. The amount of angst, distrust, and hatred in the area is so thick you can cut it with a machete. Everyone seems to be blaming someone for something they did. The landowners are even squabbling amongst themselves. Why didn't someone do something?

County government has the right and duty to investigate the reality of wind turbine facilities and to write a wind energy ordinance that protects the health and safety of its citizens. ...You have to be very naive to believe a 400 to 500 foot, 270-ton to 330-ton piece of machinery would not make noise and negatively affect your family and community. Yes, many of us in Trempealeau County want to protect our health and safety - if you're as smart as I think you are, wouldn't you too?

My first and only reason for opposing this wind industrial complex, Forward Energy, was the environmental cost to the protected migratory bird populations as well as the internationally recognized Ramsar identified wetland, the Horicon Marsh and the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. ...When a mega-corporation buys its way through local, county and state governments to get what it wants, maybe it's time to take a serious look at those in charge.

It's an impractical daydream to try to replace coal as our primary energy source. Clean up the coal-fired power plants? Of course. It will be done. Our governor has mandated that a portion of electric power should come from wind and solar. I haven't heard that a dime has been appropriated for neighborly, user-friendly solar panels. Instead, we will have unwelcome turbines hanging over our heads - and for most of us, for the rest of our lives.

By all accounts, Engelbrecht, a member of the Two Creeks Town Board, accepted cash from a wind farm company shortly before voting on an ordinance to authorize and regulate such farms in his town. ...In fall 2004, the Manitowoc County Board OK'd the wind farm proposal, and it breezed through the three-member Two Creeks Town Board later that year, with Engelbrecht and Duvenek voting in favor.

The County Board of Trempealeau, Wis., is to be commended for its recent rejection of the proposed draft ordinance on wind turbine development in the county and for responding favorably to our petition to extend the moratorium on wind turbine development until a truly comprehensive ordinance can be put together with the guidance of a Citizens Advisory Committee, to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the county.

The Trempealeau County Board is to be commended for its recent rejection of the proposed draft ordinance on wind turbine development in the county and for responding favorably to our petition to extend the moratorium on wind turbine development until a truly comprehensive ordinance can be put together with the guidance of a citizens advisory committee to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the county.

That pretty much leaves energy conservation as the only option everyone can agree on, and the challenge won't be resolved simply by building more energy-efficient devices and turning off the lights in rooms we're not using. Either the "green" movement needs to lighten up on alternatives to fossil fuel or get used to the idea that we're going to be burning a lot of coal and natural gas for the long haul.

We should explore ways of developing wind power in the county (on a smaller scale) that would actually benefit the majority of the residents. What is about to be crammed down our throats would only benefit the few landowners who are willing to trade the beauty of our county for monetary gain.

Good neighbor? It was interesting reading the wind turbine article in the May 6 Tribune, but I have to comment on one part that really caught my attention. Is Ag Wind, one of the developers, saying it will give landowners within a half-mile of the projects $500 per year? A couple things strike as odd. Why landowners within one-half mile? Why not one mile? Why at all? Is there a relationship between wind turbines and the half-mile mark? If turbines are so great, why then does Ag Wind apparently feel the need to pay nearby landowners to be "good neighbors?"

"Does it seem odd to anyone but me that the April 2005 through March 2006 bird study shows exactly what Forward Energy was looking for - even though it was compiled and analyzed by people who have far less professional experience than those who have written studies that are contrary to this one," stated Dr. Kaspar. "Furthermore, the data does not support the conclusions."

Until the ordinance is rewritten to protect the health and property rights of all residents (not just those hosting the turbines), this project must be put on hold. Further, without full and honest disclosure of Invenergy's plans, it is irresponsible of the zoning committee and county board to consider, let alone approve, a conditional use permit.

Our group, Calumet County Citizens for Responsible Energy, is in favor of 1,000-foot property setbacks, not against renewable energy. We understand and support the need for a renewable energy source. But the county board has been provided with a significant amount of information on health-related issues caused by wind turbines and citizen concerns to find an overall fair solution.

If the recent, controversy over the wind turbine farms planned by Navitas Energy and Emerging Energies, has taught us anything, it is that it is better to have a land-use policy in place than to invent one as we go. The county got into a controversy over the issue of permitting the wind turbines because it did not have a policy in place.