Profiled...

What a gorgeous spring day! Oh, how I wish I’d been able to get outside and enjoy it!

Actually, I did enjoy it. Parts of it, anyway. I attended a LURC pre-conference hearing for the Highland Wind project, which was held this morning at the Maine Forestry Service building in Augusta. That wasn’t the part of the day I got pleasure from, but it was a good meeting to ‘get behind us’, nonetheless. Within a few days the Friends of the Highland Mountains and other interested parties and intervenors will know the schedule of events as they pertain to our most pressing project in the Plantation of Highland.

The part of the day which added additional sunlight to an already dazzling and warm Thursday came before and after the meeting.

I took Josie-Earl with me.

I’d requested that she be allowed an ‘excused absence’ from school, so that she could attend the meeting, too. I believe such things are ‘educational’ and warrant an occasional absence from the classroom. I want my children to be young people who are active and ‘aware’. I want them to be concerned about what goes on around them, and I’d like to see them participate in the shaping of their own futures. I’ve always been of the opinion that a person has no right to complain unless they are willing to take the time (and put forth the effort ) to get involved in changing that which troubles them.

Since I’ve been devoting so much of my free time to ‘wind’, I’ve missed out on a lot of the ‘one-on-one’ time I used to have with my family. So I decided that combining an educational experience with an afternoon of ‘girlie’ shopping was in order.

As often as Josie and I clash, that doesn’t change the fact that she is a delightful young woman. I enjoy spending time with her. She’s funny, articulate, and engaging. I loved spending the day with my daughter.

When it comes to my three kids, I am so very lucky.

After a ten hour day ‘on the road’, I returned home to find forty-one emails waiting for me. I changed into my ‘grubs’ (running pants and a baggy sweatshirt--typical garb for this country girl) and sat down to deal with those many notes. The first one I opened was from a friend in Massachusetts who is also involved in the effort to stop needless and expensive industrial wind sprawl on our mountains. She told me that she’d been searching for something online, and ran across a website called ‘Carbon Capture Report’.


And on this site, she discovered that I have been ‘profiled’.

Profiled. Like I’m an ‘enemy of the state’, or something.

In all honesty, I haven’t had time to read the whole thing. I opened the link, scanned it quickly, and minimized it to the bottom of my screen. It is held ‘in reserve’ for later, in case I get caught up on my work and can devote a few minutes to reading what is there.

All I know is this: The corporate wind lobby is a powerful entity. It has sufficient resources to devote to foolish endeavors such as tracking the activities of a woman from the western mountains of Maine—those same mountains which the wind industry currently covets. Corporations like Independence Wind, First Wind, Maine Wind, Iberdrola Renewables, Patriot Renewables, Eolian Energy…these corporations stand to make millions in tax-payer subsidies if they can build their projects on Maine’s iconic ridgelines.


I also know that the corporate wind lobby is worried. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t waste their time in this manner.

And…I believe that the corporate wind lobby is dirty.

That being said--I also believe they are uninformed. Behind the ball. Wrong. I am far more active in this effort than their statistics show me as being.


If there are folks from the wind industry who want to know my stance on grid-scale wind developments on Maine’s mountains, they need only call me. My home number is (207) 628-2070. My email address is roomtomove@tds.net. I am an open book, and I will not be intimidated by the very corporations which have infiltrated my state--and my federal--government.

This isn’t solely about industrial wind. Not anymore. It is about right and wrong. It is about corruption. Indoctrination. It involves the fabric of the very foundation in which we Americans believe.

I had a wonderful, happy day with my daughter. Feel free to add that to my stats.

Foreign-Owned Maine Wind

Maine isn’t just a magnificent piece of real estate—it’s a brand. This beautiful state in which we live is a destination. Maine residents already have what millions of people the world over are craving.

Maine is unique—and Mainers are distinctive. We’re independent. Resilient. Proud. We’re a people who resist domination and prefer to be self-reliant. We’d rather do without, than do wrong.

Maine is at a cross-roads. For years we have been inundated with propaganda from the wind industry and its biggest supporter--the Baldacci administration. We’ve been told that we must do our part to counter-act global warming, and we’ve been led to believe that installing hundreds of miles of industrial wind turbines on our mountains would help affect that change. Wind proponents have also used fear tactics to encourage us to support their plan. As Angus King said in May of 2010, “I haven’t talked to anything about global climate change… but the bottom line is—we’ve gotta stop burning! And we particularly have to stop burning stuff we have no control over… It just strikes me as not very sensible to be totally dependent on other people—particularly other people who don’t like us very much.”


Science does not support the notion that adding wind-generated electricity to the mix will reduce carbon emissions. In fact, it may do just the opposite (See the Bentek Study “How Less Became More”, “Wind Farms are Redundant” and “Wind Power Won’t Cool Down the Planet” R. Bryce, WSJ, and others).

In addition, less than 2% of Maine’s electricity is generated by oil. Adding an undependable, intermittent power source to the grid will not reduce Maine’s usage of ‘foreign oil’.

But our dependence on the oil-producing countries in the Middle East ‘who don’t like us very much’ has been advertised exhaustively as an important reason to invest in wind. In March of 2010 Dr. Dora Mills, then head of Maine’s CDC, wrote in an email, “The unfortunate thing is that currently Maine people are dying from our world's dependency on fossil fuels. Wind turbines and other strategies to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels help improve our overall health.”

The scenarios conveyed by wind supporters show dire circumstances if Maine does not build extensive wind turbine developments along our mountain ridges… only a few of which have ‘sufficient wind’ resources. Independence Wind, the development company owned by Angus King and Rob Gardiner, used to have the following statement on their website. (From a PDF copy of the page titled “Wind Power Site Selection”, which has recently been removed from the site.)

“Wind strength is the most critical factor, and less than 2 percent of the state has
sufficient wind.”


So. Only a small portion of Maine has ‘sufficient wind’. Those locations are atop our iconic mountains, which are synonymous with Maine’s ‘quality of place’—that same quality which draws millions of tourists and buyers of vacation properties to our state. That same quality for which so many residents remain.

Also-- according to wind developers, anyway--it is imperative that we stop being dependent on foreign oil producers.

I find that puzzling; given the current ‘wind’ climate in Maine. Former governor Baldacci went to Spain to court Iberdrola, the corporation which owns Central Maine Power Company and the parent company of Iberdrola Renewables—the world’s largest wind developer. Iberdrola was only too happy to collaborate with the former administration and foist their product on Maine and its people.

However, Iberdrola is affiliated with corporations in the Middle East. In a May 25, 2008 article in “TAQA”, we read that Iberdola partnered with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, of the United Arab Emirates.

http://www.taqa.ae/en/news191.html

The goal of the partnership was to “explore co-investment and development opportunities in power generation, renewables and upstream assets in… North America. Thanks to this strategy, the Company has become the 4th largest in the world energy sector… and world leader in wind power.”

And today, March 14, 2011, we learn that Iberdrola has a new investor.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/7471174.html

Chron Business News states: “Qatar Holding is the main investment arm of the OPEC member's Qatar Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund… Monday's deal calls for it (Iberdrola) to set up a regional headquarters and research and development operations in Qatar…

“(O)ur investment in Iberdrola provides significant exposure to other important global markets including… the United States of America," Qatar Holding managing director and CEO Ahmad Mohamed al-Sayed said.”

My question then, is this: If these foreign, oil producing countries ‘don’t like us very much’, and if we are frantic to reduce our dependence on them, why are we inviting them to Maine? Why are we giving the largest wind developer in the world carte blanche on our mountains? We won’t only be importing their oil, we will be allowing them to export our wind—pitiful energy producer that it is.

I often wonder if all these smaller, independent wind developers aren’t the ‘front men’ for the biggest industrial wind developer of them all. I envision Independence Wind, Patriot Renewables, Maine Wind Power LLC—and perhaps even First Wind—building their projects, receiving their millions in tax-payer subsidies, and then selling out to this multi-national conglomerate which owns our major electric utility. Currently, CMPC is barred from both producing and delivering electricity at the same time—but I’ve heard whispers that the law which created deregulation is going to be challenged. I hope I’m wrong. I hope we are not allowing our government to set Maine up to be at the mercy of a huge foreign corporation which will have a monopoly here in our state.

We independent, resilient and proud citizens still have power. We still have the right to say ‘No!’ It’s not too late to change the policies which put our state in this tenuous position. But we must stand up—and stand together. Sound science and economics should be the basis for our energy policies. If we adopt and enforce that strategy, there is no way that ‘wind’ will dominate our unique mountain summits.

Wind developers use scare tactics, but that’s a double-edged sword. When they tell the whole story, maybe then--they can be believed.

Blatant Bribery--"Maine-- the way life SHOULD be"???

I grew up in a home where we Bessey children were expected to conform to a certain set of principles. My parents were strict, but not unreasonable. They accepted the fact that as their children developed and grew--we would occasionally feel the need to ‘buck the system’. It’s only natural to rebel against authority. But even though Mum and Dad gave their children some leeway and practiced a bit of forbearance, there were some things which were not tolerated. Period.

Lying was not allowed. It was far better to have broken a rule and admitted to it, than to have lied about it. Neither was stealing acceptable--or unkindness, or swearing, or breaking the law. Disrespect was not looked upon favorably, but I think Mum and Dad recognized that young adults didn’t always display the best judgment, and once in awhile, we could rebel against them (and them, only--and somewhat respectfully) without suffering any grave consequences.

But that was when we were adolescents. Our brains--and our personalities--were still expanding and being cultivated. It was always taken for granted that—as adults—we would ‘know better’. That the foundation given us of morality and propriety would serve us well and guide us into adulthood.

I’ve been reviewing the revised permit application which Highland Wind, LLC submitted to Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission two weeks ago; on December 28, 2010. For those of you who follow this blog, you will know that the original permit application was submitted one year ago. It was deemed ‘complete’ by LURC at the end of January, 2010 and the Friends of the Highland Mountains worked feverishly for the next two weeks to gather enough petition signatures to convince LURC to grant us a Public Hearing on this wind development proposal.

In March 2010, at the first LURC Commissioners’ meeting wherein HW LLC’s permit application was part of the agenda, we learned from the Commissioners that the permit application was NOT, in fact, complete--and we lodged a formal complaint requesting that the ‘expedited permitting clock’ be stopped, and the permit set aside until such a time as the developers met the ‘completeness’ standard. At the April 2010 meeting, the Commissioners agreed to pull the application, citing the fact that Highland Wind, LLC, did not have sufficient title, right or interest (TRI) in a parcel of land which they needed to cross in order to transmit their wind-generated power from Highland Plantation to Wyman Station.

Yesterday, I began to review Highland Wind LLC’s revised permit application. What I read should deeply trouble every Mainer. Every American! For in this permit application, Highland Wind LLC offers what I consider to be a blatant bribe to a government agency.


This is a quote taken from the permit application submitted by Angus King and Rob Gardiner, the principles in Independence Wind, of which Highland Wind, LLC is a subsidiary. I took it from the ‘tangible benefits’ section of the application…

For the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands: Highland Wind will provide $1,040,000 to the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL)over a twenty year period, as a “donation for land or natural resource conservation” pursuant to 35-A MRSA §3451 (1-C) (C). This land or natural resource conservation will be comprised of two
Elements:

A. Permanent protection for Stewart Mountain from the development of wind turbines. On or before the triggering date, Highland Wind shall execute or cause to be executed a legally sufficient document that will extinguish in perpetuity all rights of any current or future landowner to site wind turbines on the land comprising approximately 572 acres on Stewart Mountain that was previously proposed by Highland Wind as the location for eight wind turbines. The current fair market value lost for extinguishing these wind turbine development rights is $253,000.
B. Payments for Additional Bigelow Preserve Viewshed Protection. Highland Wind will made twenty annual payments of $39,350 to BPL, to be used for protecting the viewshed from trails in the Bigelow Preserve. Over 20 years, BPL will receive $787,000 in total annual payments. The initial annual payment from Highland Wind is due on the triggering date. In the alternative, and at the request of BPL, Highland Wind is prepared to make the entire 20-year value of these twenty payments available to BPL as a single, lump-sum payment due at the triggering date, with the
lump-sum amount calculated as a net present value of this twenty-year income stream.
All payments owed to BPL would be distributed by Highland Wind to an agreed-upon third-party escrow/disbursal agent and placed in a segregated, separately invested and administered Bigelow Preserve Scenic Viewshed Fund. (Viewshed Fund). BPL will be granted the authority to use the monies in the Viewshed Fund to acquire in fee or easement properties that it deems to be valuable for protecting the viewshed from trails in the Bigelow Preserve. At BPL’s choosing, a modest percentage of these funds (e.g., 10-20%) could be used for viewshed trail maintenance activities in the Preserve.
(The statute quoted therein may be found in the Expedited Wind Permitting Law.)

Okay. If you’ve read this far, then you probably know where I’m going with this. But in case you don’t, I’ll spell it out.

The Bureau of Parks and Lands is a State agency which operates under the Maine Department of Conservation. The BPL is also listed (as is the Friends of the Highland Mountains, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, and many others) as an ‘intervenor’ in the original Highland Wind, LLC permit application which was submitted one year ago.

The approval or denial of a permit for this wind turbine development will be decided by the Land Use Regulation Commission. That agency (LURC) is also an agency under the direction of the Department of Conservation.

I’ve spoken in the past about the ‘tangible benefits’ and the ‘mitigation’ which is allowable under the ‘Expedited Wind Permitting Law’. I’ve openly called this practice ‘State-sanctioned bribery’. Wind developers have been allowed to go into towns wherein they hope to construct these developments and offer ‘cash incentives’ to people and businesses in the hopes that they will support their projects. In fact, Maine law compels them to spend money in these communities. I have always believed this allowable practice is corrupt and morally wrong.

But here, in this revised application, the developers have descended to new depths. In an open and public document, Highland Wind LLC is blatantly offering a bribe of more than three-quarters of a million dollars to an agency of the State of Maine. They are offering an inducement to the same agency which will be deciding its fate—deciding whether or not to consent to their permit--the approval of which will allow Highland Wind, LLC to acquire millions of dollars of tax-payer subsidies.


This is illegal, is it not? Is this not immoral? To my way of thinking, it is unconscionable! The Maine Attorney General’s Office should—no, it must--investigate this. And then—the AG should prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Mum and Dad would have warmed my rear--at the very least--if I’d ever tried to pull off something so despicable—no matter what the scope. I call upon the Attorney General and the People of the State of Maine to take a stand.

This type of corruption has been over-looked and tolerated for far too long. Wind developers are desperate to acquire their cash rewards, and it has become apparent that there are no depths to which they will not sink.

I’m not willing to sit back while this great State goes down with them. It's time that we, the People, stood up and condemned this type of practice.

********************************
A friend just told me that--while it SHOULD be illegal--this type of payoff is NOT illegal, because the state of Maine allows it. Wind developers are required to pay a 'community benefit' of $4,000.00 per turbine per year (not each and every year, necessarily, but annualized) when they build a wind facility. I do not change my stance on this issue. That three-quarters of a million dollars is not being offered to Highland, or to a private organization which could invest the money in conservation or natural resource protection. That money is being offered as an inducement to the very State Agency which is deciding whether or not to grant Highland Wind LLC's permit. That is wrong. And if LURC takes this application under consideration, they will have a huge conflict of interest. I don't care if Maine has 'allowed' this type of thing in the past, or not. It's wrong.

It's wrong.

Civil but not Silent

When I began to research the topic of industrial wind on the mountaintops of Maine, it was with one purpose. Last fall, Angus King and Rob Gardiner came to Highland Plantation and told locals of their planned development for Highland’s five mountains. The largest proposal for the state at that time, I believed it warranted looking into, even though--to my uneducated mind--I supported the concept of producing electricity from something as benign as wind.

It did not take me long to realize that a grid-scale wind energy plant was not a good plan for these ridges, nor for any others in this state. The environmental consequences, the health risks, the questions surrounding decommissioning, and the ratios of benefits vs. negative impacts convinced me that the development was a disaster in the making. I, along with other concerned Mainers, formed a citizens’ group dedicated to opposing the Highland project.

We knew it was an uphill battle. We knew our opponents had power and influence and money--while we were a simple band of people who came together with nothing but a desire and a conviction to do what we believed was right. We also knew that to oppose the plan in light of the promises made to Highlanders by Mr. King and Mr. Gardiner might very well cause hard feelings in the community. The Plantation was hurting after suffering through years of incredibly high taxes. The ‘tangible benefits’ offered to tax-payers would be hard to refuse.

I’ve never been one to cause a fuss. I’ve always been a peacemaker--a woman who avoided conflict when possible and helped others do the same. In the early days of our opposition, I tried desperately to smooth the waters whipped up by industrial wind. I laid out my motives for opposing the project, and listed those reasons in a personal letter sent to Mr. King. I asked him to withdraw his permit application from LURC. Asked him to do the right thing, instead of the thing destined to earn him a plethora of hard-earned tax-payer subsidies.


In the weeks and months since that time, I have listened to Mr. King speak in public about this project. I was a guest during one of those forums, so I was compelled by a sense of propriety to remain quiet while he spoke. And one of those times, all non-Highlanders were asked at the beginning of the meeting to remain silent. I respected that request.


In both recorded meetings, Mr. King misled his audience. He knowingly or unwittingly made some grave misstatements. Either way, the choice is clear. If Highlanders put their faith in the owner of Independence Wind, they are choosing to trust a man who either knowing tells untruths, or who doesn’t know enough about his subject to speak with any degree of expertise.

It’s easy to spread misinformation when no one challenges you on it. It’s easy to spread feel-good propaganda when your listeners are easily led. But those days are over. The people of Maine are leaders, not lambs. The people of Maine are intelligent, hard-working, thrifty and proud. The facts about industrial wind are coming to light and citizens are working diligently to see that their neighbors are armed with the truth.

Wind turbine developments on the mountains of Maine? No. The negative impacts—and there are many—far outweigh the negligible benefits. It doesn’t make sense from a scientific or an economical standpoint. So, while I intend to remain respectful if possible, I won’t remain silent anymore. Bullies feed on those who appear powerless, but Mainers are arming themselves with facts. Mainers are regaining their authority to shape the destiny of this state. We won’t be lied to. We won’t be bullied.


We will try to be civil, but we won’t be silent anymore.

For factual information about mountaintop industrial wind, see www.highlandmts.org or www.windtaskforce.org

****************************
Photos of Angus copyrighted by Kaz Pease.
Photo of sweaty, chubby Kaz hated with a passion. However, my point was that while I will try to be civil (notice the smile) I will NOT keep quiet (notice the microphone). Lordy, lordy... the things I put myself through...

An Open Letter to the Members of Maine's Legislature

I have just received notice from Maine's Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) that Highland Wind LLC's permit application is complete, and that LURC will begin reviewing it tomorrow, February 3, 2010. In that same notification came the news that the citizens of Maine have two weeks to request a public hearing to voice their opinions about this industrial development proposed for the unspoiled mountain ridges of Highland Plantation. TWO WEEKS! Two weeks to activate the citizens of Maine, TWO WEEKS to get petitions to them for signature, TWO WEEKS to collate and assemble them and get them to LURC in Augusta. If this development is approved, the impact made on our mountains and to our culture and our quality of life will last FOREVER. Once the crests of a small mountain range have been blasted away in 48 separate places, that horizon will never be the same. The devastation will be irreversible. And yet... we are given a paltry, token two weeks to assemble an opposition to this plan.

I cannot adequately express the anger I feel without using words innappropriate for this medium. And I cannot convey the indignation or the sorrow I feel without beginning what I believe would be a long and vituperous rant. Instead of spouting off on GAG, I am pasting in a copy of the letter which I sent to each member of Maine's Legislature. I believe most of them received it, although some of the email addresses I got from the state's website were not current, and ten of them came back to me. I'll work on seeing if I can find more updated addresses, out of fairness and courtesy to our senators and representatives. I want them all to be on the same page, in case those elected officials who are supposed to represent Maine's citizens deem this issue important enough to address.

I invite your comments, no matter where on this planet you are from. And if you are a fellow Mainer, I respectfully request your assistance. Study up on the subject of Big Wind. A good place to start is at this website: www.highlandmts.org. From there you can access many links to broaden your knowledge. This is important, for with knowledge comes power, and we're losing a little of our power each day.

Then, if you believe--as I do--that it is a mistake to place these inefficient and economically unfeasible energy plants along 360 miles of Maine's mountaintops (which is virtually all of them save those inside the Appalachian Trail corridor and the national and state parks) then I ask that you go one step further. I ask that you contact me in the next few days and request a petition whereby you request that LURC grant a public hearing. I ask that you sign it and mail it back to the Friends of the Highland Mountains, PO Box 111, New Portland, ME 04961. In my opinion, whether you agree with my position on this issue or not, we should ALL believe in our right as American citizens to be granted the opportunity to voice our opinions. This is still America, after all. We're talking about basic rights, here. Rights that are being whisked away before we even notice they're up for grabs.

The following letter is long, but I ask that you devote a few moments of your busy day to read it. The issues are important, and the time is very, very short.

Thank you, my friends.


‘Voices on the Wind’
January 25, 2010

Dear Senators and Representatives of the Maine Legislature;

I am a citizen with serious concerns regarding a crisis here in Maine. Although the specific issue I will speak of pertains to our state, the root problem is one that is affecting the country at large. It’s time for us to take a leadership role and do what is right.

Americans are fast losing their voice and their right to shape their own destinies and the future of our country. You, the members of our State Legislature, passed an ‘emergency’ bill in 2008 which is now known as LD#2283, the ‘expedited permitting law’. This law was shaped, in part, by industrial wind turbine developers. Rob Gardiner, partner to Maine’s former governor Angus King, gave specific instructions and advice to Governor Baldacci’s Task Force on Wind Power as to how this law could best circumvent the objections of the people of Maine, as well as eliminating many of the discretionary powers of LURC, the board charged with protecting Maine’s natural resources in our unorganized territories. Once it was designed (using those recommendations of developers who stood to make millions of dollars on industrial wind), the Task Force then urged passage of the measure. This bill passed into law in 15 days–a remarkably short time-frame. Not a single member of our Legislature voted against this ‘emergency’ measure, and there was no debate. There is some question as to whether some of you even read the bill.

What LD#2283 does, in essence, is fast-track the installation of massive industrial wind turbine developments along the unspoiled mountain ridges of Maine. The people of Maine, under this law, do not have the ‘right’ to a public hearing, wherein we can voice our objections to these encroachments. That the bill was introduced as an ‘emergency’ measure removed the standard 90-day period between its passage and its implementation, during which the people of this state would have had time to learn of the measure before it was put into practice.

There are many injustices involved in this issue. The ‘emergency’ designation is just the first. There was no genuine emergency. There were no blizzards or earthquakes or floods to prompt this measure. There was no war or disaster looming on the horizon. I believe that we, the people of Maine, were the ‘emergency’. I believe that the politicians and the developers with power, money and influence knew that if the voting public of this state learned of the huge impacts these industrial energy plants would have on our landscape, wildlife, economy and quality of life here in Maine, they might very well stand up and object. Directly prior to the passage of LD#2283 some average Mainers openly opposed other such installations, and they caused many problems for the developers. They delayed approval of the permit. They insisted on additional environmental impact studies. They even caused the Redington permit application to be denied. The average Mainers were the ‘emergency’, and so we were removed from the equation. At the very least, we are ordered to jump through hoops to earn the possibility of being heard. Even after such acrobatics, there is no guarantee that a public hearing will be allowed. In all honesty, I am not convinced that, if granted, a hearing will even carry any weight. I believe a public hearing would be nothing more than a tool to placate those in opposition, and give them a false feeling of hope. I believe that the administrations in Washington and Augusta have charged those under their authority to expedite the permitting process. Period. End of story.

In order for developers to take advantage of government subsidy monies to fund their projects, the roadblocks and delays must be eliminated quickly, before those offers of subsidies expire. In my opinion, that was the purpose of LD#2283; to remove those human roadblocks.

The passage of that law was an outrageous act. What is worse is that the general public has not received honest information regarding these wind developments. We have been fed the line that ‘wind is green, and green is good’. I am as concerned as the next woman about global warming, our country’s dependence on foreign oil, and the need for sustainable and renewable energy sources. But I want to see responsible, careful, and long term consideration given to the resources and citizens of our rural communities.

In order to meet the governor’s goals for sustainable energy, over three hundred miles of our mountaintops will have to be sacrificed for massive forty-story wind turbines. The summits will be dynamited to create a level area for the pouring of a massive concrete pad for each of the hundreds of towers. Miles and miles of roads will be cut through pristine forests and along the slopes of hills to allow access to the turbines and their infrastructure. Transmission corridors will also be cut, and the vegetation controlled with herbicides. Hydro-fractures, erosion, interruption of the foraging and hunting trails of our native species, bird and bat deaths from collision with the blades… these are just a few of the concerns that pertain to the ecology and environment of this state. Thousands of acres of trees and plants will be sacrificed– vegetation that is invaluable when battling the effects of greenhouse gasses! The emissions created in manufacturing these machines add another complication to the equation of how ‘green’ wind energy is. These turbines are not manufactured in the United States, either. That government subsidy money–those tax dollars that come from working Americans–will be shipped overseas to places like China and Denmark to support the economies of those countries. Not America’s. As far as the question of job creation here at home is concerned, some local workers may be employed on a temporary basis during the construction phases, but the developers themselves have told us that full time maintenance jobs are limited to a few for each project.

Over the past three decades Maine has lost the majority of its industry. Our paper mills, our saw mills, our shirt and shoe factories, our toothpick and novelty manufacturers are all gone. Those ‘in the know’ decided it was cheaper to export the jobs and import the goods. What Maine has left are our natural resources. Our unspoiled and beautiful wilderness. Our lush trees and our rugged mountains, our crystal clear lakes and glacial ponds. Tourism is what is saving Maine. People escape the crowds and the urban sprawl and industrial complexes to come to Maine, where they can experience life the way it should be. If we despoil this state by covering every mountaintop outside the Appalachian Trail corridor and beyond the boundaries of our national and state parks with 40-story wind turbines that thrum and pulse and create disorienting shadow flicker, and which are proven to cause severe sleep disturbances and other serious health problems, then I despair of ever seeing a tourist or his dollars, again. We may have a brief influx of folks who come to Maine to gawk at our new horizons, but that will be short-lived. Once you’ve seen one ruined skyline; once you’ve heard the jet whine and low frequency thrum caused by blades which sweep an area the size of a 747; once you’ve witnessed a landscape forever altered and scarred, the novelty passes. And what do we Mainers have left?

What we have is an unreliable energy source; windmills that are at the mercy of intermittent winds and the ravages of nature, and massive and expensive pieces of machinery whose power production is so unreliable that electrical plants powered by coal and natural gas must remain online as back-up. The real kicker is that Maine already produces more power than its citizens consume. We are an exporter of electricity. Every bit of that unnecessary wind-generated power will be shipped to southern New England, where the need is greater. If we wish to buy back that ‘green’ power, we will have to pay the higher rates paid by consumers living in those other states. Maine does not need this power, but it is our natural resources which will be sacrificed to meet the needs of more gluttonous markets. It will be our mountaintops which will be blasted away, our wildlife which will be threatened, our very culture and our ability to provide for ourselves which will be at risk. There is no wisdom in this proposal.

Other countries like Spain and Denmark which have heavily invested in wind energy for decades have learned some valuable lessons from their mistakes. I am baffled as to why our elected leaders are not willing to learn from them.

In our complacency we Americans have allowed our government to decide what is best for us. We have allowed it to assume powers which it does not rightly have. The government (and that includes you) works for us; not the other way around. I am tired of being told what will happen in my home and in my homeland, instead of being asked for permission before new, irreversible and encompassing decisions are made. I still have rights as an American citizen and I am tired of watching my freedoms disappear. I’m angry that decisions are made without my input. I still have a voice, and I still have a vote, and I intend to use them.

I ask that you take time to research this issue if you have not done so, and bring the facts to the citizens of Maine and to the rest of the country. I ask that you put politics and careers aside and stand up. Show us you actually represent the best interests of this state and her people. Do what’s right. This is a multi-faceted issue, and as Maine is not alone in its mandates it is a subject which will soon be affecting much of the nation.

Using the internet and standard media, I have researched wind turbine developments and all the myriad issues involved in their placement, feasibility, and environmental and health impacts. I have read documents provided through the Freedom of Information Act. I have had in-depth discussions with a sound engineer, an environmental engineer, my senator and representative, and citizens of Maine already living in the shadow of Big Wind. I have referenced Dr. Nina Pierpont’s study of Wind Turbine Syndrome. I’ve also attended meetings held by wind developers in my neighboring town. I have taken the time to learn the realities of ‘Big Wind’. As members of the Maine Legislature who represent the citizens of this state, I believe it is your obligation to do the same.

The people of Maine must have their power restored. The state and federal governments must return to their proper place. This is not the America of my youth. We, the people, have to stop allowing a government that is out of control to make local decisions for us. The state and federal government exist to support home rule, not to eliminate it. They exist at our discretion, and must operate by carrying out the will of the majority of its citizens. Those with money and influence must not have more power than ordinary citizens, because ordinary citizens are the backbone of this country.

There is little chance we can turn the tide and stop the destruction of our mountains as long as LD#2283 holds sway, and while those with money and influence are able to push their agendas forward, but I refuse to relinquish my right to have a say in what happens in my corner of this great nation. I have a voice, and I plan to use it. A moratorium must be put in place before further permits are granted under LD#2283. Thereafter, this law must be repealed.

I look forward to you response, and will be happy to discuss this issue with you.

Sincerely,
Karen L. Pease


This photo was taken on February 5, 2010 in Freedom, Maine. The blade swept down from behind the trees and the home on the right-hand side of the road and stopped me in my tracks. I was stunned by this perspective. This turbine is only 260 feet tall; almost 150 feet shorter than those destined for Highland's mountaintops.



This photo is also of one of the three turbines in Freedom, from 4 miles away (via the access roads-- not sure as the crow flies). The pic is small, so it's hard to see details, but I was amazed at how the farmhouses to the right and left were dwarfed by this turbine.
**********************************
Thanks go to my very good friend Jack Ramsay, who proofed this letter for me after I wrote it and gave me wise counsel and words of encouragement. I THINK I made all of his corrections, but if I missed any of them, I'd prefer it if you blamed Jack, rather than me. His shoulders are broad, and I'm busy. I've got some mountains to save.

Heh... thanks, Pal.

Venting on Wind

NOTE: This blog entry is a work in progress. As I become educated on the pros and cons of wind development, I may add, change or delete some portions. This is an opinion piece, and I invite readers to add their two cents worth and make their voices heard. Above all, I desire information...verifiable data that is pertinent to this issue. If we have the truth, we Mainers can make intelligent and conscientious decisions regarding our heritage, our environment, and our quality of life.



I’ve spent the last few days having fun on GAG. I’ve written of dwarves being accidentally swallowed by hippos, of doing a stand-up comedy routine on the heels of strippers…I even ambushed my friend Jack on DUD and wrote of testicles getting caught between slats in a chair. These were all enjoyable topics.

Well…they were a blast for me to WRITE! I’m a bit of an idiot, that way. I hope they were also entertaining to read.

But I have a serious side. In addition to being a writer, I am also an American…a Mainer who is a concerned citizen. I’m a country girl and I enjoy a simple life, but sometimes a woman has to step outside her comfort zone and get involved in issues that have importance and impact, whether she likes such a role, or not.

I live in a small township in western Maine. I am a native of this great state, and I love these hills, these forests and these people with a passion. I am a conscientious woman, too, I believe. I take care to cherish this earth…to make my impact on her as minimal as possible. I suppose some people would call me green.

Wind power is coming—HAS COME—to Maine. Mars Hill, Vinalhaven, Freedom. Three communities that have already begun to experience the effects of huge wind turbines pulsing in their back yards. And now, to my dismay, Independence Wind is exploring the possibility of developing a large swath of pristine mountaintop range in my own neighborhood. Right next door, in the tiny village of Highland Plantation.

Before I proceed, I would like to state a fact. I am NOT against wind power. I am absolutely in favor of harnessing the power provided by sun, wind, water and the thermal energy available underneath our feet. I crave independence from foreign oil, and I would love to see us end the tapping of underground oil reservoirs and the burning of fossil fuels. These are the facts.

I like to think that I am a responsible citizen. A conscientious human being. I believe I am ‘green’. I also understand that many people will roll their eyes as they read that. That they will say, ‘Yeah, sure! Karen wants environmentally friendly power--as long as it is not in her own back yard!’

Of course, many people will feel that way…will think that of me! Of course they will! They will believe that I am only green when it suits me. When it doesn’t directly impact ME.

I know this. In all honesty, I’ve had those same thoughts about other folks in the past.

That being said, it comes down to this. I am not convinced that the erection of gigantic wind turbines on our remote mountaintops is a ‘green’ solution to our current energy crises. I am beginning to believe that the development of offshore wind farms will have the least detrimental impact on our economy and our environment. But I am a babe in the woods. My education is just beginning. In only the past few weeks have I begun to research this fairly new phenomenon that has come—and is coming rapidly and in exponential proportions—to the Pine Tree State.

There are several very important issues that concern, even disturb me. As with every relatively new resource, there is much we don’t know. First and foremost, I worry about the health issues. Many studies are being conducted into the new phenomenon called ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’. The data collected thus far is chilling, and I urge you to read the words of an expert by clicking on that link I’ve provided. I’ve tried to make it easy to do, so please…take a moment and read the opinions of professionals who are ‘in the know’.

And if you won’t believe the expertise of someone ‘from away’, I also have access to the written testimony of some real Mainers who are living in the shadow of these great windmills. Ethan Hall and Cheryl Lindgren are residents of Vinalhaven, one of the island jewels that sparkle off our wild Atlantic coast. These two people have been adversely affected, and to a great degree, by the turbines that have just recently come on-line on their island home. I am stunned by the immediate and severe consequences these two residents have suffered as inhabitants in the fall-out zone of turbine noise and blade pulse. I think anyone who reads their heart-felt and desperate letters will agree. I will enthusiastically make these letters available to anyone who would like to contact me at roomtomove@tds.net. I would humbly ask that you be interested enough to do so, whether you live in my neighborhood, or not. Mr. Hall’s and Ms. Lindgren’s experiences are chilling, alarming, distressing. But I implore you to read their words, yourselves, and make up your own minds.

Another issue that causes me great concern is the actual impact such a development will have on the earth that surrounds us…our mountains, our trees, and those animals and lesser plants that flourish (or more importantly, those that struggle to survive) in these western woods. Former governor Angus King and his partner, Rob Gardiner have informed us that more than twenty miles of new road will be cut through our pristine woodlands. They’ve outlined how the crowns of several unique mountains will be blasted away and leveled in order to build the foundations or ‘bases’ that will support windmills which exceed four hundred feet in height. They’ve stated that year-round roads will be maintained—plowed, sanded, perhaps even salted or layered with calcium chloride—to allow access to the turbines, no matter what the season.



And yet, I heard not one word--not one FACT, that is—about how such monumental changes to topography and environment will influence our wildlife. There is no way in the world we can tell—not yet, anyway—how such an intrusion into the wilds of Highland Plantation will affect the native animals. I am certainly no expert. Far, far from it! But I can easily see how a wild creature’s mating habits and cycles could be changed due to a sudden intrusion of activity; a constant, unceasing noise; and the vibrations caused by mammoth blades thrumming through the air and causing pulse waves to buffet all that are within their path. I can imagine hibernation patterns changing. Hunting and eating instincts going awry. I can even picture our woodland creatures becoming less timid and more aggressive as they are subjected to such a colossal change in their natural setting. Living beings were not designed to withstand constant noise and unnatural vibrations.

As I’ve said, I’m no expert, no biologist. But I know animals intimately, and I have instincts of my own. In my humble opinion, there is no way the wildlife in our forests can escape unscathed from such a rapid and large-scale intrusion into their ecosystem.

There are so many, many more and diverse issues that must be researched before a large-scale development (and we’re talking upwards of fifty wind turbine towers!) can even be considered. Many questions and concerns come to mind.

What will the advent of a wind farm do to the value of the real estate in its proximity? If residents dislike—or can’t stand—living near the mills, will they be able to sell their homes at a profit, allowing them to move away? Will they even be able to recoup the original cost of their property, or would the value have plummeted so much that they must sell at a loss, or stay--and be miserable?

** December 1, 2009: After attempting for several days to contact fellow real estate agents in Mars Hill, a town that has hosted a wind turbine development for approximately two years, I finally spoke with two, earlier today. According to one owner of a real estate agency in Mars Hill, the development has not seemed to negatively affect property values. In fact, this agent cited several new homes built in the last year within close proximity to the towers. He also said that buyers considering the region have often REQUESTED property that had views of the windmills. To his knowledge, none of the Mars Hill residents who live within the corridor with the most noise pollution have placed their homes on the market. Until that happens, there will be no sales data to compare to...and that is the only way to honestly and realistically judge market value. Thus far, the advent of the twenty turbines has not seemed to adversely affect sales in the region. It is important to note, however, that the Mars Hill project is 'in town'--in an already-developed area--and the one proposed in Highland will be in a wilderness region. It may be years before we know the true impact of such a development on property values.

Will tourism still flourish once our wilderness is no longer unspoiled? As the paper industry moves abroad, as the wood-turning mills close and the shoe shops fold and the woolen mills and shirt factories go under, tourism is Maine’s last hope. Millions are drawn to our rugged terrain, to our fresh air and our unpolluted rivers, lakes and streams. Will this multitude of nature-lovers and seekers of peace still choose to visit our neck of the woods, if its spine is corrupted by industrial steel and concrete, and by unnatural sound and pulsation?

And then, there is the cost. Not the cost to health, or environment or peace of mind. Not the psychological expense of having to view the unsightly where once there was naught but beauty. I’m alluding to actual cost. Governor King and Mr. Gardiner admitted that currently--right now--it is cheaper to use natural gas than it is to harness the wind. Admitted that until generating power from the wind becomes less expensive, there won’t be a good market for the energy it produces. And yet, they wish to hurry their plan through, to put it before LURC. Just in case. For a time when it WILL BE an economically sound undertaking. By then, all roadblocks will have been removed.

As ‘pro-environment’ as these business partners and friends profess to be (and I believe they ARE, don’t get me wrong)…but as ‘green’ as these esteemed gentlemen are, they are not interested in proceeding with a plan that is economically unsound, even if it might be—MIGHT BE—better for the environment and the earth as a whole. Not if it can't turn a healthy profit.

That says something. To me, that says something very significant.

I have a copy of the expedited law passed by the legislature…the law that—basically—removes all vital restrictions to the development of wind farms in unorganized territories. In all honesty, I haven’t finished reading it yet. It was so disturbing that I had to take a break.

That our legislators—those men and women who are supposed to be representing US, and who are supposed to be stewards of this great state—both its land and its inhabitants—that they passed such a law without debate, without discussion, and without giving we, THE PEOPLE, advance warning or a chance to educate ourselves about it and make our will known, is appalling. Unconscionable. It makes me mad enough to chew nails, and causes me to want to fire the whole lot of them. How dare they? How dare they?

That’s the crux of the matter, to my way of thinking. We--the residents, the citizens, the voters and the tax-payers--have become non-entities. Our opinions, our wishes and our will have become unimportant to those with power. To those with money and influence. Our ‘one vote’? Not even asked for. Certainly, not wanted.

I also have a copy of a letter that Mr. Rob Gardiner wrote expressing his opinions--and even more importantly, his DIRECTIVES—regarding the drafting of the expedited law to facilitate wind energy in Maine. It was stunning to see how each desire this developer expressed, each stipulation he required, was incorporated into that expedited law. I’ll say it again: I am no expert. But I’ll eat my hat if it doesn’t appear that a developer—someone standing to make millions of dollars on wind farm development and expansion—designed that law which runs roughshod over the citizens and the environment of Maine. Oh, there are some safeguards in the law...but those protections appear to only affect any state or federally owned and/or managed lands and trails. There is nothing I've found, yet, that addresses protecting lands personally owned, or the rights of private citizens. Instead, there are the words 'tangible benefits'. As if we, the people, can be brought in line by vague promises of greatly reduced taxes or free electricity. As if we can be that easily bought.

I will also make Mr. Gardiner's letter available to any citizen concerned enough to request it. All you have to do is ask. Also, for those interested, here is the link to the Governor's Task Force on Wind. The more informed we become, the better equipped we will be to make the tough decisions that lie ahead. With rights come responsibilities, and educating ourselves is part of the process. I hope these links will answer some of your questions, for I am surely not able to. Not yet.



It comes down to this. We are Americans, and we are Mainers. We have rights. As well, we have charges! It is up to us, as intelligent and concerned individuals, to care for our planet and for each other. I love my neighbors in Highland Plantation. I honestly and truly empathize with their terrible financial tax burdens. I understand desperation, worry and fear. I completely comprehend a person’s need to take care of ‘home’ first, before concerning himself with the needs of a community at large, or an environment that seems, at times, to be vast and indestructible. But it is in times like these that my fellow Mainers show their stuff, display their true colors, and join together to help each other. That we use our Yankee ingenuity to form a plan to carefully and conscientiously address the problems facing us--be they financial, environmental, or civic. Above all, we hardy folk know when to say, ‘Enough is enough!’ We know when someone is running roughshod over us. We know our rights.

And friends, one of those rights, those freedoms? It is the right to say, ‘No!’ We have a duty to say, ‘Hold on! Wait just a second! We haven’t given this tremendous issue the time, care and attention that such a life-changing and landscape-altering development requires. We say NO! Until the average Joe Mainer has the opportunity to educate himself on this complex issue, and until each voter is allowed to make a collective decision, we exercise our RIGHT to say NO!’

Please, people…please. Stand up. Straighten your shoulders and brush yourselves off. And remember this! Please.

We have the right to say ‘No!’ The Governor, the Legislature...they work for US. For you and me. Not for developers, not for special interest groups, not for the lobbyists of corporations and not for the wealthy. They work for you and me. The little people with the big responsibilities.

And we have the right to tell them 'No!'

*****************************************
The above commentary consists of the thoughts and opinions of Karen Bessey Pease, and should not be attributed to any other entity or organization. I invite any reader with a differing (or like-minded) opinion to comment. This is America, and we all have a right to express our opinions. Too, I am an open-minded individual, and would welcome the expertise and input of those professionals who are involved in the development of wind turbine power, or its effects on the land and inhabitants of this planet we call 'home'.

*****************************************
To read a perspective piece on FOREIGN wind turbine manufacturing and OUR stimulus dollars, please read my comment below, dated 12/05/2009

Also, if you are interested in obtaining information on sound issues with wind turbines, please click this link. We owe it to this earth and to ourselves to become educated on these aspects of 'wind' if we expect to be able to make sound and responsible decisions.