Crosswinds blow before Supreme Court
A number of Greenbrier County residents haven’t given up on their attempts to stop a large wind energy project from going under construction.
Representatives of the group Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy were back before the state Supreme Court Wednesday. MCRE is asking the Court to hear full arguments on its appeal of the decision from the state Public Service Commission that allows work to begin on the $300 million wind turbine project.
MCRE Attorney Bradley Stephens focused part of his argument on the money Beech Ridge Energy is required to post in case the turbines have to be removed. He claims it’s not adequate.
“What if Beech Ridge, for whatever reason, abandons the project?” Stephens asked the Supreme Court. “The public at large, the state of West Virginia, has no idea whether there’s enough money sitting there to dismantle these turbines and the reclamation of the land.”
Beech Ridge attorney Lee Feinberg told the Court the bond amount would be reviewed every few years and there would be adequate finances. But Feinberg says he doesn’t anticipate the project ever going away. “Nobody takes down these sites,” he told justices. “This is a brand new 300-million dollar project that’s going to be sitting there. Nobody is going to walk away from it. If there’s a problem with it, it’s going to be sold.”
Feinberg also argued MCRE is being misleading when it says it represents the public interest. He says there’s plenty of support for the turbines. “The public interest is on both sides, everybody has an interest in this,” he said.
The Supreme Court will rule soon whether to hear full arguments in the case.
Staff
State Supreme Court
2 September 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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