To the Editor:

In response to the recent letter about wind energy n the letter was filled with the same old misleading, self-serving rhetoric. Wind proponents have a hard time talking about wind without mentioning coal. I guess when it’s hard to find good things to say about the product you’re promoting it makes sense to criticize the product you’re competing against.

Once again, let’s review the FACTS about wind energy: 1. Poor performance - averaging 15-20% of installed capacity. 2. Not clean energy n because of the intermittent nature of wind, wind plants require backup (fossil-fueled) generators. 3. Electricity from wind is volatile, unpredictable, causes grid instability, and is significantly more expensive. 4. The primary reason for building wind plants is for the tax breaks/incentives and subsidies given to the wind developer n not because of environmental and energy benefits. 5. A wind developer will get almost 75% of his capital costs back courtesy of the American taxpayer. 6. The small amount of electricity from wind is extremely expensive and the cost becomes a burden of the consumer. 7. Claims of increasing the tax base have proven to be false n any gains are offset by decreased property values, loss of tourism, and the taxes/fees consumers must pay to subsidize the industry. 8. No jobs n the facts show that the bulk of construction is completed by imported labor provided by the turbine manufacturer and those jobs are temporary. A typical wind plant employs 1 or 2 low paid maintenance workers. 9. Death and displacement of wildlife is significant. 10. Placement of a single turbine may require up to 3,500 yards of concrete. Concrete production is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. I wonder how many tons of CO2 would be spewed into the air for the construction of 10 wind plants in Ashe County.

Claims that wind energy will help “the farmers” are completely false. There are about a dozen possible sites for wind plants in Ashe County, which means the majority of farmers will gain absolutely nothing while a few landowners will get rich at taxpayers expense. Adjoining landowners will see their property values go down as well as have to deal with the noise, vibration, and unpleasantness of living under a power plant.

It makes more sense to use our tax dollars on green alternatives that actually have some promise n for example solar cells, biofuels, and hydrogen fuel cells. It makes even more sense to invest tax dollars to improve existing technologies that actually work n like clean coal and hybrid vehicles.

I commend our County Commissioners for finally getting their facts and act together in regard to the County’s wind ordinance. Any person running for political office whose primary objective is to support policies to advance their own selfish interests or the interests of a select few should be condemned and certainly won’t get my vote.

Tonya Bottomley

West Jefferson, NC