July 4, 2014
Letters, South Dakota

Wind turbines not good for South Dakota

Letter: Wind turbines not good for S.D. | Aberdeen News | July 4, 2014 | www.aberdeennews.com

As a lifelong resident of South Dakota it is disheartening to read about the 500 wind turbine farm being planned for Lincoln County (“Wind energy farm moves forward,” June 22 American News). Just imagine the view these monstrosities are going to create in the farmland of southeastern S.D. 

Dakota Community Wind Power wants you to believe in this “green” energy and invest your money into this project.

Is it really green? Wind turbines only operate around 30 percent of the time. Coal, oil and gas must be burned continuously to keep the grid running. Wind turbines are significantly inefficient compared to the use of fossil fuels.

You may not care about this project. In other states many families are forced to abandon their properties due to noise, shadow flicker, stray voltage etc. Their homes and property values depreciate. Who wants to live under a wind turbine’s shadow? Who wants to be forced out of their home they worked hard for?

Wind turbines cost the U.S. taxpayer 200 times more in subsidies than any fossil fuel. The Wall Street Journal states that it cost $52.48 per one million watt hours for wind energy versus $3.10 for nuclear energy, .84 for hydropower, .64 for coal and .63 for natural gas. This is per the U.S. Energy Information Administrator. This is what you call negative pricing.

I do not live in South Dakota so I can look at these monstrosities. I do not care to look at flashing FAA lights at night, listen to noise or watch shadows flicker.

I live in the South Dakota countryside to raise a healthy, well-educated family.

I enjoy the wildlife, the sunsets and the farmland that my family calls home.

Do you like to hunt as well? We are in the central flyway for migrating species. Wind turbines kill 573,000 birds each year.

Ask yourself is this a legacy for you to invest in for your children and grandchildren?

Is this South Dakota’s legacy?

Jennifer Fischer

Beresford

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/07/04/wind-turbines-not-good-for-south-dakota/