Disputed wind farm proposal to be heard by Virginia justices

[Doondoo]

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments in June over Virginia's first proposed wind farm. Justices will rule whether Highland County officials followed land-use regulations when they approved construction of 18 or 19 towering wind turbines near the West Virginia border. The court, which agreed to hear the case this week, is expected to rule in September.

Energy developers and conservationists are closely watching the case, which could help open the door to wind power along the Eastern Seaboard. Most wind turbines are located in the West and Midwest.

In Virginia, wind farms are being considered in Roanoke and Patrick counties.

West Virginia has one wind farm in Tucker County, but several more have been proposed in the state, including one in nearby Grant County where developers want to plant 200 turbines.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WV_WIND_POWER_WVOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-02-16-11-32-15

[sweetheart]

1. 'industrial power station'

'Wind farm' is a distorting euphemism that only confuses the matter.

[don954]

3. cant really call them industrial in the classic sense

they don't produce pollution, cause traffic (from workers), or even lower land values. The mega wind generators turn slower than birds fly so the strike rate is the same as a stationary building. And i think the majority of people like the look of dozens of wind generators slowly turning, kinda a zen type thing..

[sweetheart]

4. they cause noise pollution

I have walked around significant installations, and they whirr, whine and whump for
a long way downwind, completely spoils the nature, and i walk away from them to get
away from the sound pollution... i imagine that the noise would drive away wildlife
from that ground as well if wildlife values its sense of hearing.

The high power lines that connect such sites are as well seriously industrial.

A mechanical noise making system that never is quiet with any breeze,
with powerlines, access roads and massive embedded energies is not quite
the nature panacea... it is an industrial artwork, if you like, but 'farm'.. :-) no.

I'm all for honesty, why the euphemism except to cover up for big land exploitation
under a new rubric.

[AValdoux]

2. Funny story from Texas

We recently had a civil case where rural land owners sued the owners of a large wind farm saying it affected their land values and quality of life. While the jury was deliberating, we had a major power outage that blacked out the court house. The electric comapnies said it was from "moisture on the power lines". Needless to say the jury came back in favor of the wind farm. Would an electric company manipulate power flow to win a civil verdict?


AValdoux

[Javaman]

5. You don't even want to know how I just misread the title of your post nt.