Want Wind Power? Live Somewhere Else.

A committee in our state senate is poised to effectively ban wind turbines in western North Carolina.

After the jump I’ve got a list of legislators to contact. But first a little background. This year environmentalists and clean-energy advocates were seeking to clarify legislation that covered wind turbines. They were seeking language that would outline a clear state permitting system for wind farms, and would exempt turbines generating less than 100 megawatts from local ordinances regulating development (though the state could still deny a permit over aesthetic concerns).

They were even more interested in making it clear that turbines would be exempt from the Mountain Ridge Protection Act of 1983, a state law that prohibited “tall buildings or structures” of more than 40 feet in height (though not power lines or other equipment) from being constructed along ridgelines.

So as of the beginning of last week, there was a bill up for consideration in the senate Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee that accomplished all that. And then, at some point between Monday and Friday, a person or persons unknown slipped language into the bill that would have exactly the opposite effect. The new language really clarifies things by making explicit that all wind turbines constructed for the purpose of generating and selling power were prohibited under the Mountain Ridge Protection Act.

The vote on this newly amended version comes tomorrow at 11 am. Until then, call the members of the committee and let them know you support wind power in western North Carolina (numbers after the jump). You might also want to call Martin Nesbitt, the state senator from Buncombe who has repeatedly expressed his objections to wind turbines in the mountains.

Martin Nesbitt 919 715-3001

Austin Allrand 919-733-5876 (the bill’s sponsor in its original form)
Bob Atwater (committee Chair) 919-715-3036
Ellie Kinard 919-733-5804
Don Davis 919-733-5621
David Weinstein 919-733-5651
Joe Sam Queen 919-733-3460 (from WNC)
John Snow 919-733-5875 (from WNC)
A. B. Swindell 919-715-3030