January 5, 2011
Maine, Opinions

New wind application an ecological disaster, economic boondoggle

The Irregular, www.theirregular.com 5 January 2011

Angus King and Rob Gardiner’s new application for the industrial mountaintop wind proposal on the Highland Mountains in the face of the iconic Bigelow Preserve is an attempt to salvage a project which was ill conceived when it was first proposed over a year ago and remains ill conceived in spite of the reduction in turbines, creation of conservation easements, and local energy grants.

These changes are just window dressing being used as part of a PR campaign in an attempt to delude the public and influence the LURC regulatory process. This new proposal remains an ecological disaster and an economic boondoggle. The mountaintop industrial wind scam continues to be a case of mountain slayers and profiteers feeding at the federal and state subsidy trough filled with of our tax dollars.

The Highland Wind Project, like the rest of the mountaintop industrial wind projects, will cause visual and sound pollution, habitat destruction, harm to wildlife, NOT REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES, cause negative economic impacts as a result of reduced tourism and recreation as well as reduced property values for those who live in close proximity, and will significantly increase Maine citizens’ electricity costs.

The bucolic rural Maine countryside and wild lands of Maine are under assault from greedy wind developers. The Forest Ecology Network will do everything it can to stop the Highland Wind Project from becoming a reality. It is a sad day for the state of Maine when developers put their profits —in this case our tax dollars— ahead of the interests of Maine citizens.

Jonathan Carter is the Director of Forest Ecology Network and a resident of Lexington Plantation.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/05/new-wind-application-an-ecological-disaster-economic-boondoggle/