Wind project is worse than the Northern Pass
By Jim Buttolf / For the Monitor, Concord Monitor, www.concordmonitor.com 28 March 2011
By Jim Buttolf / For the Monitor, Concord Monitor, www.concordmonitor.com 28 March 2011
Jane Diffley recently wrote that the Northern Pass power lines and towers will “permanently alter the lands they cross, fragmenting forests, disrupting wildlife habitat, disfiguring communities and lowering property values” (Monitor Opinion Page, March 5).
This sounds like Groton Wind, except that with the wind farm, 24 turbines would be perched atop the ridgelines of the historic Baker River Valley, extending an additional 399 feet with gigantic spinning blades, making Northern Pass towers look like tinker toys!
Many are duped into believing Groton Wind will produce bountiful “green” energy. Baloney!
We’re talking about random surges totaling a measly 15-20 outrageously priced megawatts sold out of state, mostly generated during off-peak demand. (Northern Pass is 1,200 megawatts.) Carbon mitigation would be virtually imperceptible. The more we learn about the risks to peregrine falcons, eagles and bats (not to mention humans), the worse it gets.
This might sound like an opportunity for employment, but check the fine print. Perhaps locals might find temporary work cutting down trees, but shortly after the ridgelines have been dynamited and the rubble is removed, virtually everyone gets fired.
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision is just days away. It’s outrageous to destroy the Baker River Valley so that Spanish Iberdrola can reap insane taxpayer-subsidized profits. E-mail the SEC at Jane.Murray@des.nh.gov referencing Groton Wind docket 2010-11.
(Jim Buttolph lives in Rumney.)
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/28/wind-project-is-worse-than-the-northern-pass/