March 28, 2021
New Hampshire, Opinions

What’s that noise? SEC hears windmills

Carl Perreault | New Hampshire Union Leader | www.unionleader.com

The state Site Evaluation Committee is one pretty powerful entity, which is why its action, or lack thereof, in the Antrim windmill project was so disconcerting.

The SEC seems to have righted itself on this one, but only after state senators called it to task for ignoring windmill neighbors’ complaints. The complaints include the noise level the turbines are generating, as well as the lights that are glowing when they should not be.

The SEC granted Antrim Wind an exemption from noise-testing requirements, even though some neighbors with noise complaints were not notified of a hearing on the matter.

The state senators noted that making a decision “having heard from only one side of a dispute” is “astonishing, and frankly inexcusable.”

The SEC will now appoint a special subcommittee to review complaints. The episode makes two points. First, some noise complaints (as from a politician) are louder than others; and wind power, despite its being “green,” has drawbacks beyond its reliance on Mother Nature.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/03/28/whats-that-noise-sec-hears-windmills/