Letters and comments for August 21, 2009

Little benefit from wind farm

To the Editor:

The Antelope Ridge Wind Farm that is being proposed for Ladd Canyon, and all along Craig Mountain from Hot Lake to Telocaset, causes serious concern as to its long-lasting impact.

There will be some local benefit for a few months in the summer of 2011. As long-term residents, we will be stuck with these towers and blinking lights forever or until they are decommissioned. As for decommissioning, that becomes a serious question since it has been found that Horizon Wind Energy has its headquarters in Houston, Texas, but Antelope Ridge Wind Farm is filed in Delaware as an LLC and owned by a company in Portugal. When the time for decommissioning comes, in approximately 15 years, if the company refuses to remove the towers, it will be nearly impossible to make them liable.

Take a road trip over to Walla Walla then head to Pasco through Wallula and look to the south at the rolling hills polluted with hundreds of wind towers. If you think the eyesore of wind towers will not have an effect on tourism and the economics of this county, you are in for a big surprise.

It was recently published by BPA that all the current wind towers in Eastern Oregon and Washington recently produced enough power to supply Portland and Seattle for a measly one hour. Is this justification for more wind towers?

There will be a very small benefit to the county’s general fund with the way the revenue is distributed.

As for a reduction in dependency on foreign oil, this is T. Boone Pickens’ government-subsidized program. There is no market for the power as of today. This is nothing more than a green movement that is taxpayer subsidized.

Should we ban together to stop this project or just let it happen?

Dennis Wilkinson

Cove