Think you live far enough away from the project area of the proposed wind farm not to be affected? Think again. When greed yields fruit it begets only one thing – more greed.
Approval of this project will set a countywide precedent for corporate opportunists like CPV corporation to request wind development permits wherever they can procure sufficient easements. Such is the nature of the beast created by our government’s lavish tax subsidies for renewable energy window dressing.
Virtually all other wind projects in the state have sought expansion once developers got their foot in the door. This was the case in Butler County and appears likely in Ellsworth and Lincoln Counties. Plans for phases II and possibly III in Spearville have already been publicly announced.
Ed Hammond of FHSU has often expressed desire for turbines on university land. We can doubtless expect to see several less than a mile from town – much closer than those currently proposed.
Gene Bittel has declared in public his desire to site turbines on his family’s land, in complete disregard of his conflict of interest in sitting on the zoning board. Anyone living north of Ellis should be seriously concerned.
Catharine has a lovely ridge of high ground temptingly close to high voltage power lines. What are the odds this small community can resist forcible industrialization if the city of Hays is seduced by the false promises of Krista Gordon and Iberdrola?
The opponents of the proposed development have received a groundswell of support from their community. Unfortunately, the bulk of this support is expressed in private, rather than in public. I suggest that now is the time for all citizens to become fearless and make their opinions known to the County Commission. If this project is approved, every rural resident of Ellis County will need to ponder a very weighty question. How well do you trust your neighbors?
J.P. Michaud
1189 180th Ave.
14 July 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/15/if-okd-wind-farm-would-spread-quickly/