Opinion: Avangrid continues to offer locals more money, says Hopkinton resident 

Iberdrola/Atlantic Wind/Avangrid surreptitiously secured leases with landowners for wind turbines beginning in 2010. At that time, I would like to think that landowners simply didn’t have any knowledge of the negative effects of industrial wind turbines. I doubt any of them knew the devastating effect it would have on their friends and neighbors, or on our community as a whole; but they know now.

At this point in time, there are thousands of articles from scientists and physicians and unlimited information from energy experts and bird and bat biologists about the negative aspects of industrial wind turbines. Our community is obviously torn apart because of the threat of devastation to our way of life, and for what? Wind is an unreliable, inefficient, expensive source of electricity; there is nothing free about its production, it is not green or clean and, in our area, would cause existing hydro dams to fluctuate their output if/when the wind blows. How is that helping us to replace our dependency on foreign oil?

Why shouldn’t we be upset? The very tactics that are used by industrial wind developers over and over again, known throughout the world as their “playbook” – coming into a town, secretly signing leases, recommending/encouraging leaseholders to call everyone opposed to industrial wind “fear-mongerers” and, more recently, “bullies” or “activists” is less than creative.

Leaseholders have shown absolutely no consideration for their friends and neighbors. A majority of those leasing their land have chosen not to lease the land where their homes are located – choosing instead to lease land near our homes. Does that not demonstrate the fact that many leaseholders have concerns for their own well-being? It is extremely difficult to understand how the people who are planning to have turbines erected on their land can, in good conscience, put their neighbors in harm’s way, forever change the character of our town, and diminish our property values, without even the slightest tinge of remorse.

If you want to put yourselves and your families in harm’s way, so be it. But do not do it to your neighbors. Please remember one fact – those of us opposed to industrial wind development are not the ones destroying our community – those who have signed leases did that years ago out of lack of respect for their friends and neighbors. Avangrid and leaseholders seem to forget that the rest of us have rights as well. The rights of a handful of people should not overrule the rights of a majority of residents. That is not a democracy, that is a dictatorship. Avangrid continues to try to gain community support by once again, offering money for a good neighbor agreement which will take away all of the rights they would otherwise be afforded under the town laws regulating industrial wind development. That is the only way Avangrid knows of to get support for their projects – offer money. Sorry, Avangrid, but some of us aren’t that easily exploited by a rich, powerful, unscrupulous foreign corporation. My advice to my fellow residents of Hopkinton – don’t sell your souls to Avangrid for a pound of silver.

Don’t believe industrial wind turbines are green and clean, when the construction of them wreaks havoc with the environment, destroys forests, grasslands, wetlands and sensitive ecosystems and displaces and kills threatened and endangered species. Remember, turbines are unreliable, inefficient and expensive.

Over 850 of your friends and neighbors signed petitions opposing a PILOT and in favor of a moratorium on wind turbines. Over 150 residents who live and/or own property South of Route 72 have stated emphatically that they do not want the overlay zone expanded. Avangrid representatives have publicly stated that they would not “force” a project onto a town that didn’t want it. Well Avangrid, the town has spoken for over eighteen months.

Kelly Charleson

Hopkinton