July 22, 2013
Alabama, Letters

Risk vs. reward

The Gadsden Times | July 22, 2013 | www.gadsdentimes.com

The news of the wind development has been received as well as bag of party mix. There’s folks who love it, there’s folks who love some things and hate others and then there’s folks that just plain hate all of it.

I’m in the dollars-and-common sense crowd, myself. Jacksonville State University has issued an economic impact analysis on the project stating that the county can receive, by conservative estimates, about $709,374 in new tax revenue from the development once it enters an operational phase. Not only that, but the construction phase is estimated to have a $25,977,907 impact on the local economy.

I respect the rights of property owners to enter into an agreement with this development or not to without any senseless ideological meddling from local politicians.

However, there is a risk, as with any development that this wind farm could be a failure. Just like with any enterprise it can fail or it can prosper.

For the sake of mountain property values and the aesthetic beauty of our natural ridge the one thing, is simply to seek an agreement from Pioneer Green for a demolition bond, a common agreement that they simply put aside enough money to deconstruct anything that they construct should it fail. If that cannot be achieved we should divert the earliest tax revenue into a trust to pay for the deconstruction of any potential derelict turbines. We have the power to eliminate our risk as well as see our county’s energy independence flourish.

“Etowah” comes from the Cherokee word meaning, “edible tree.”

Even the earliest humans in this area we call home understood God’s natural bounty and utilized it for their development. We would be wise to do the same.

Cody G. Jones

Gadsden


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/22/risk-vs-reward/