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Wind energy project isn't just about view shed
Editor's note: The following letter was sent to the editor of the Virginia-Pilot last week, and shared with The Recorder.
Where were all the pro-wind folks when Winergy LLC proposed 221 turbines in the Chesapeake Bay in 2003? That could have provided electricity for 120,000 homes based on figures in the Sept. 14 Virginia Pilot article about the Highland County wind project.
This isn't just about a few neighbors and view shed. It's about democracy and elected officials ignoring public opinion. Citizens filed the suits after Highland County supervisors issued a permit following a public hearing where only 18 of 97 speakers supported the project. About 500 people attended the hearing in this county with 2,500 residents.
The supervisors also changed a zoning height restriction that conflicted with the project after the wind company applied for the permit. Not one of the 33 speakers at that hearing spoke in favor of it.
The Virginia Supreme Court based its decision on technical faults, not the merit of the case.
Sandy Hevener, Blue Grass, Va.
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