Windmills need commonsense approach

Windmills need commonsense approact

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has unleashed a storm of controversy among environmentalists over windmills, but we think he is using a commonsense approach.

Alexander has introduced legislation that would restrict tax credits for new windmills, and he has asked TVA to place a moratorium on new windmills.

Alexander's bill would give local governments veto power over wind farm projects and require environmental impact statements for windmill construction in offshore areas and within 20 miles of certain scenic areas, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and military bases.

The provision on eliminating tax credits for projects in those restricted areas, however, is what has drawn criticism from environmentalists and windmill manufacturers.

Stephen Smith of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said the legislation is "the most direct assault on wind power we've ever seen by a United Statfl senator."

Jaime Steve, a lobbyist for the American Wind Energy Association, said wind energy could bring up to 4,500 new jobs and $4.2 billion in investment to the state in the next five or six years.

Alexander released a statement that said his bill would protect scenic areas and give local citizens more control. "It keeps those 100-yard-tall, monstrous structures away from Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Roan Mountain, the Tennessee River Gorge, the foothills of the Smokies and other highly scenic areas," Alexander said.

"As for jobs," he continued, "every Tennessee job is important, but I fear that hundreds of these giant windmills across Tennessee's ridges could destroy our tourism industry, which could cost us tens of thousands of jobs."

In remarks on the Senate floor, Alexander said serious questions have been raised about how much relying on wind power will raise the cost of electricity. "My studies suggest that, at a time when America needs large amounts of low-cost, reliable power, wind produces puny amounts of high-cost unreliable power," he said. "We need lower prices; wind power raises prices."

About his request to TVA, Alexander said the moratorium should be in effect "until the new TVA board, Congress and local officials can evaluate the impact on these massive structures on our electric rates, our view of the mountains and our tourism industry."

TVA Directors Bill Baxter and Skila Harris responded that TVA has no plans to build more wind turbines in the next two years and beyond.

We believe Alexander has raised some serious questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of wind power. While we understand the importance of focusing on new forms of energy to reduce reliance on oil, we agree with Alexander's premise that we must go about it wisely.

"I hope we decide that we need a real national energy policy instead of a national windmill policy," Alexander said.

We think that's well said.