An excerpt of this letter to the editor was submitted to the Clinton County News for publication:
The community we all love is about to be changed forever. Our landscape will be dotted with 40 monstrous wind turbines. Once they get their foot in the door, I have no doubt that those 40 turbines will soon become 80 and 120 and more. Some people will move, some people’s health will be negatively affected, everyone’s property values will take a nosedive, animals will suffer, and we
will have to look at gigantic metal monsters everywhere we turn. No one will move here or build here. Our electricity rates are going to soar. I have no animosity toward anyone, but there will be bad feelings among some neighbors and friendships of many years will be affected. All for what? For so-called green energy and, according to Forest Hill Energy’s website, 6 jobs per year in maintenance. If wind turbines could produce cost-effective energy that made economic sense, the free market would already be producing such energy and someone would be making a profit from it.
We have all learned new terms in the past couple of years and in recent months such as shadow flicker, dBAs and dBCs. We have heard over and over the concerns of the people who would have to live with these turbines. What has not been mentioned too much is this: Exactly why are we willing to sell out our community to a business who will not even tell us who they are?
I asked at a recent Essex Township meeting, “Who is Forest Hill Energy? Who owns it and where are the headquarters?” This is the answer I got: They are owned by “proprietors” and their headquarters are in Chicago. Why such an evasive answer? Many of us here are proud farmers who can trace our farm ownership back for four or five generations. We would never hesitate to say who “owns” our farm. I will bet that I could go to Chicago and I’m not going to see some big building with Forest Hill Energy on the front. They did not even have a website I could find until last week. I found an address listed for them on S. Forest Hill Rd. When I drove by it, it was someone’s house. There is no Forest
Hill Energy sign. We all know that it is just a small energy company formed for the purpose of getting huge government grants to get the wind farm off the ground.
Who really owns it? Is it GE? Is it a Chinese, Greek, or Swedish company? It could be any of those, and it could be all of those at different times over the years. I don’t like the cloak of secrecy and mystery. In my opinion, a business is up front about who they are and where they are and who calls the shots. We are being asked to make a huge sacrifice for a secretive government-funded company
who might just fold up their tent as soon as the turbines are built and morph into some other company or just fade into the distance. When the huge government subsidies dry up, who is going to tend to the turbines?
The Essex and Dallas Township boards took what action they could and passed an ordinance with stricter regulations on the height, decibel level and allowable distance from residences. We are all grateful for their decision. I pray that Bengal Township will join them.
We the people will have no vote on this issue. The final decision rests with the Clinton County Board of Commissioners. I hope they will take into consideration the legitimate concerns of the affected citizens before they make a decision that will change our community forever.
Cherie Anderson
