Jeff Snyder's column on wind-energy provisions misleading: Letter to the Editor | August 10, 2015 | cleveland.com
On July 5, Lincolnview School District Superintendent Jeff Snyder wrote an article on cleveland.com (“Restore Ohio wind-energy provisions that benefit local students”) which highlighted the “benefits” of Blue Creek Wind Farm in an attempt to create support for Dog Creek Wind Farm. I find Mr. Snyder’s article misleading for the following reasons:
• Mr. Snyder failed to mention Blue Creek cost the American taxpayer $172 million. He also failed to mention PILOT which allows the owner, Iberdrola, to make payments significantly less than the taxes they should be paying. Furthermore, Iberdrola has been named the “largest recipient” of U.S. federal grant and tax credits in that it has received $2.1 billion from the American taxpayer.
• Mr. Snyder supports HB190, which if passed, would allow county commissioners to disregard current wind turbine setback requirements and revert back to previous setbacks. State Reps. Tim Brown and Tony Burkley co-sponsored HB190.
• The current setback law (Ohio Code 4906.20) allows “all owners of property adjacent to the wind farm property waive application of the setback to that property…” This means property owners can waive current setback requirements if they so choose. Passage of HB190 would take this right away from property owners and give it to county commissioners.
Mark A. Wilson,
Delphos
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/08/10/jeff-snyders-column-on-wind-energy-provisions-misleading/