Counting on the states As the shadow of the wind industry spreads across the Alleghenies, thousands of people in the most rural parts of Virginia and West Virginia are now in the uncomfortable position of relying on agency officials for protection. Folks from all walks of life, whether for or against wind power, are counting on the decisions of bureaucrats and biologists in every level of their state governments to be based on accurate information applied to the facts here on the ground.
For those opposed to industrial development of our mountain ridges, there is a feeling government officials are too receptive to the energy lobby's bland assurance that the "green" label trumps any and all problems wind might bring with it. In Highland and Pendleton counties, which are at ground zero in this fight, it is certainly true that local officials have swallowed the industry's message hook, line and sinker despite overwhelming opposition from their constituents.
What's to give them hope state agencies won't do the same? After all, most of these people have an urban orientation and don't know the first thing about the place we live. The generic arguments about sacrificing for the good of the country made by managers and lawyers working for Highland New Wind Development and Liberty Gap LLC tend to resonate in Richmond and Charleston, far removed from the splendid isolation of western Highland and the Potomac River valley.
But we believe the principal agencies in deciding this debate - the State Corporation Commission Virginia and West Virginia's Public Service Commission - are beginning to understand that "green energy" comes in different shades, and to apply its merits equally to the last, unspoiled mountain communities in the East and the vast, featureless plains of the Midwest is thoughtless and potentially highly destructive at multiple levels. They are seeing this because with the passage of time, new information surfaces daily to expose wind as a very unstable and economically flawed way to produce significant power. Time is on the side of those opposed to the ruination of their homeland and the wind lobby knows that. It is why wind advocates apply all the pressure they can bring to bear to expedite the review process. A growing body of evidence simply does not support their case that the advantages of ridge line development outweigh the downsides.
In that light, it should be said the SCC seems to be taking every measure to assure a thorough and objective review of HNWD's application for a certificate to build its 39-megawatt project. The commissioners' staff so far seems prepared not to make the same mistakes in Virginia, and it has the chance to get things right from the beginning as it weighs a decision on the state's first wind plant in Highland. We've seen thorough analyses from state agency scientists, who have asked questions some here hadn't even thought to ask yet. We've seen the SCC's officials handle the case with due diligence, providing more than ample time and ease for citizens to provide information. And we've seen the hearing officer make decisions that seem fair and balanced to those opposed, those in support, and the developer. So far, so good.
But in Pendleton, opponents of Liberty Gap's 50-megawatt proposal say their PSC is relying too heavily on the developer's information without taking adequate steps for independent review. Wind energy companies were able to take hold in West Virginia, where the first plant was constructed some three years ago, with little opposition. Back then, there were few who understood the harm these projects could bring to their communities, and there was little guidance from any source to help the PSC understand the consequences of such ridge-top development. But that agency is trying to catch up, thanks to pressure from West Virginia legislators and residents who have rallied to do their homework.
What concerns so many here is the idea that SCC's commissioners will ultimately be swayed by the economic and political argument - one in which we are led to believe that without the infusion of tax dollars from wind projects our "impoverished" counties will be unable to provide basic services to their residents. Wind power will be our salvation, not our downfall, they say. That's nonsense. While the economies of Highland and Pendleton are small, they are healthy; and without selling out for unspecified utility dollars, they portend to get healthier down the road as urbanites discover these spectacular places. It would be a huge mistake to give any special consideration to what could fairly be called a tactic of leverage without real commitment to specific and long-term dollars.
Whatever the state does now carries precedents that will be used sooner than anyone thought, as two new wind proposals have already surfaced in other mountainous areas of Virginia, notably within view of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Patrick and Roanoke counties. Those citizens, too, deserve their day in court before they are handed a fait accompli that favors developers and short circuits their opportunity to get the facts.
In the meantime, the pressure is on, and it's coming in the form of professional lobbyists like Frank Maisano, who was quoted recently in The Roanoke Times as saying, "A lot of (wind) opponents get whipped up into a hissy before we can even look at these things in a responsible way." How dismissive and arrogant is that?
The opponents we've heard are extremely knowledgeable on wind energy; they've been steadily researching and weighing the benefits and negative impacts of the industry, and pushing for qualitative study across the board. If anyone is having a "hissy," it's the developers who seem hell-bent on ramming the industry down the throats of ordinary citizens for their own economic gain.
After listening to some 14 hours of testimony on the pros and cons of wind power from dozens of Highland citizens back in March, we're confident the SCC hearing officer and the agency's staff will understand where Maisano is coming from.
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