N. CAROLINA’S FIGHT OVER WIND’S AESTHETICS

State needs a comprehensive wind energy policy
Scott Gollwitzer, July 29, 2009 (Asheville Citizen-Times)

"A battle is brewing in the state House over how many — if any — commercial-scale, electricity-generating wind turbines should be allowed to dot the mountainous skylines of Western North Carolina. On one side of the debate stand three mountain senators who oppose these cleaner sources of electricity because they may ruin the scenery and the environment…On the other side are those — including many mountainfolk — seeking to transition the nation’s energy policy away from fossil fuels and rapidly embracing measures that use energy more efficiently and deploying renewable sources of energy like wind.

"…[T]hat developing wind energy in North Carolina should [NOT] proceed in an unregulated, piecemeal fashion…both sides readily agree…What are the essential elements of a wind energy development policy that protects scenic vistas and the environment?"

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"Foremost, any wind energy policy must provide for commercial-scale projects across the state…[A] fairly balanced policy must promote the responsible construction and operation of wind turbines in the mountains and Piedmont alike.

"Second…[P]rohibit commercial-scale wind turbines on all federal and state lands…[including] parks, forests, recreation and wilderness areas, historic sites, natural and scenic rivers, wildlife refuges, nature preserves and natural heritage areas…[and protect] the views from public lands or private conservation lands with high recreational values…Third…protect ecological systems, natural resources, fish, plants, wildlife and cultural and historic sites…[and] exclude development in habitat for rare, endangered, threatened and sensitive species of animals and plants…[and] on lands identified as being at risk of landslides and other hazardous areas…Fourth…limit the construction of new infrastructure by requiring projects to be located in close proximity to existing roads and transmission systems."

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"Fifth…ensure that the effects of each proposed project—when added to past, present and future projects — do not create adverse cumulative impacts…Finally… require an evaluation of the noise and shadow flicker impacts and provide ample opportunities for the public to review and comment upon the project before it is approved.

"Armed with these guidelines, the General Assembly is poised to take a decisive first step in weaning North Carolina from fossil fuels. The statewide benefits of swiftly — and responsibly — deploying wind turbines far outweigh the costs…[O]n the coast, wind energy will help reduce the expected rise in sea levels…In the ever-growing Piedmont, wind turbines will…[reduce] the amount of water evaporated each day by fossil fuel-fired power plants. In the mountains, wind turbines will reduce the air pollution that currently obscures our scenic vistas and poisons our streams and forests…For this mountain boy, I’d take a crystal-clear view of a responsibly sited wind farm on a prominent ridgeline over a smog-choked vista any day…I hope our western senators see it that way, too."