Clean may not always be green where wind power is concerned

Finding a balance between need for renewable energy and protecting landscape and wildlife is a sensitive issue when choosing sites for turbines

By Lara Lutz
Hundreds of people recently gathered at an Annapolis rally to promote offshore wind power, energized for change. A wind "superhero" in a blue and silver costume roamed the crowd with a flowing cape, while a grungy coal-costumed man symbolized the dismal alternative.

The crowd's mood was upbeat and the message was clear: Wind power can transform the world.

But wind power transforms the landscape, too.

As plans for the nation's first offshore wind farms take shape, 21 wind farms churn the air on plateaus and ridge tops of the mid-Atlantic region. More are in the queue.

Industrial-scale wind farms have altered the rural landscape in places where the natural environment and quiet living are high priorities. Some local residents and conservationists say wind turbines are an assault on both.

The American Wind Energy Association, a trade organization representing wind developers, utility companies, manufacturers and researchers, says that wind is a largely untapped national resource that generates renewable energy and combats global warming. Its impact on humans and the environment is minimal - with far fewer drawbacks than other electricity sources such as coal, natural gas and nuclear power.

The Mountain Institute, a nonprofit organization based in West Virginia, is about to release a new study on the opportunities and barriers to wind installations in the mid-Atlantic highlands. Researcher Brent Bailey said that state and federal policies are driving an increase in wind farms, but site-specific decisions are complex.

"A lot of nuance about this hasn't made it to the public," Bailey said. "It still seems to be a case of all or none, you're for it or against it. What we're more likely to find is that in some places you'd be for it, and other places you'd be against it."

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