September 26, 2010
Georgia

Mountain residents plan to organize against wind farm

Written by Jimmy Holbrook, www.chattooga1180.com 26 September 2010

Over 70 people showed up from all over Lookout Mountain on Saturday afternoon at a private residence to discuss the news that a Wind Farm is being considered on Lookout Mountain. Interested landowners from Cloudland in Chattooga and Walker Counties as well as people from Mentone, Alabama were at the meeting. A representative from the Girl Scouts of America’s Camp Adahi and from the Lookout Mountain Conservancy attended as did Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters (D), Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskel (R) and State Representative Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo).

Overwhelming support was given to the idea of fighting the proposed wind farm by Spanish company Iberdola Renewables on Lookout Mountain. One question on the minds of residents was – why pick Lookout Mountain for a wind farm? State Representative Reece said that all the information that has been given to the state legislature has indicated that there is no where in Georgia that would be suitable for wind turbines to generate electricity.

One suggestion offered was that the energy company will receive massive federal subsidies and that the project could be an effort simply to reap the benefits of the federal subsidies. In fact a new provision that was passed by the U.S. Senate just last week will provide $42 billion in subsidies to energy companies that begin wind farm projects before the end of the year. (www.nawindpower.com)

The group meeting on Saturday afternoon has vowed to organize and fight any attempt to place the towers on Lookout Mountain on the basis that the wind turbines would cause sight and noise pollution and would destroy the aesthetic appeal of Lookout Mountain.

AM 1180 will have more from the meeting in upcoming newscasts this week.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/09/26/mountain-residents-plan-to-organize-against-wind-farm/