January 25, 2012
California

Supervisors knock down Antelope Valley wind turbine study

Los Angeles Times, latimesblogs.latimes.com 24 January 2012

Efforts to build large electrical wind turbines in the Antelope Valley suffered a defeat Tuesday, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sided with a coalition of residents and environmentalists who opposed the project.

Opponents of the turbines feared the project could blight the view from the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, kill eagles, falcons and raptors and damage property values for people who live in that rural part of L.A. County, north of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Supporters said the project would bring badly needed jobs to the area.

The question before the supervisors Tuesday was whether two companies, Element Power and NextEra, should receive permission to install six observational towers, all rising nearly 200 feet -– and stretching the length of a hockey rink – in various spots in the Antelope Valley. The temporary towers would have been installed on empty land and would have collected information, such as wind speed, to give the companies data it could use when seeking permission from the county to build the wind turbine project.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who represents the Antelope Valley, voiced his opposition, saying birds could strike the towers, pose a safety hazard to planes and would not be in keeping with “the rural character” that “makes the Antelope Valley unique and valuable.”

The supervisors unanimously opposed the observational tower project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/25/supervisors-knock-down-antelope-valley-wind-turbine-study/