Thank wind law panel for its diligent efforts ~ Letter

Thank wind law panel for its diligent efforts

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009

A group of people who oppose wind power projects have sadly turned to personal attacks in an attempt to keep wind turbines out of the town of Cape Vincent. They will go so far as to claim that members of the town board can't possibly be acting in the town's interest in creating a good wind ordinance because of their personal stake in wind projects. As I understand it, the town board was re-elected after their involvement in the project was public knowledge and were voted in at least in part because of their pro-wind power position.

As this paper outlined, the 10-member wind ordinance committee is considering measures that are more stringent than wind ordinances being used in the rest of the state. If there was so much underhanded activity going on, why bother to enact extra protective requirements in a wind ordinance if the sole objective is to push through a wind farm "under the radar" as the opponents suggest?

It is important to create a wind ordinance that will protect the community while allowing the benefits of a wind farm to happen. It might be a good idea to thank the wind ordinance committee and the town board members for their hard work on this instead of berating them.

If you voted in the local election, you may have voted to put these elected officials in office to allow wind power in Cape Vincent. Wind energy is in line with the state and national goal to use as much homegrown, renewable energy as possible. The towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme have an opportunity to use wind power that will create clean energy, green jobs and help sustain our local economies during these difficult times.

Suzann Cornell

Chaumont