The June 5 Missoulian editorial, “Let's propel wind energy forward, not backward,” reports that a proposal by Rep. Nick Rahall “would immediately halt construction and operation of new wind power” and “all existing wind projects would be shut down,” pending government certification based on new regulations yet unwritten.
If that is true, then Rahall's Subtitle D of H.R. 2337 is too harsh. Wind energy development is politically correct and rightly popular, because global climate change is forcing us toward alternative energy technologies.
Industrial Wind Action, or IWA, is an organization which “seeks to promote knowledge and raise awareness of the risks and damaging environmental impacts of industrial wind energy development,” according to its Web site, www.windaction.org.
Spokesperson Lisa Linowes says, “If wind power is to be a piece of our energy puzzle, it should not be at the expense of wildlife and other natural resources.”
The federal government has a very limited role in ensuring that wind turbines are sited and constructed safely, and most state and local boards are inexperienced with wind development. IWA argues that the proposed legislation would bring uniformity to the review process.
Linowes explains: “I've heard many developers complain that the inconsistent, uneven review from one region to next has left them uncertain as to what's expected of them. Subtitle D presents us with an opportunity to bring clarity to the process.”
The Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Research Council are all on record asserting the need for more site-specific information from scientific experts to properly assess impacts of wind energy projects on wildlife.
According to IWA, the wind industry installed over 2,400 megawatts of wind in the U.S. last year. Based on a congressional estimate, wealthy utilities are reaping $2.75 billion annually in production tax credits, in addition to the millions in public funds paid out for the renewable energy.
“Wind power is no longer a fledgling industry,” Linowes says, warning that denying the environmental problems caused by turbines could turn public opinion against them.
The Department of Energy has reported that replacing 150 coal power plants would require 60,000 wind turbines.
The Rahall plan may not be the final answer, but a gold-rush mentality that promotes such huge numbers of heavily-subsidized, industrial-scale wind farms with no controls on industry is not a good answer either. As a first-draft work-in-progress, Rahall's proposal might just be a step in the right direction.
Finally, every debate about energy should emphasize efficiency and conservation, and include a discussion about real need versus excessive demand. For example, one question seldom asked: Which Las Vegas casinos should close down so that a coal plant near Great Falls and industrial wind farms in sight of Glacier National Park are unnecessary?
Gene Sentz is a conservationist and educator in Choteau.
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