Dear Editor:Brian Dubie says he knows how Vermont communities feel about wind power in his Jan. 9 commentary (“Hey Connecticut, Vermont ridgelines, meadows are not for sale”). But I’m a Vermonter, and I couldn’t disagree more with his conclusions. I’d also like to set the record straight on many of the misconceptions in his piece.Hundreds […]
Dear Editor:
Brian Dubie says he knows how Vermont communities feel about wind power in his Jan. 9 commentary (“Hey Connecticut, Vermont ridgelines, meadows are not for sale”). But I'm a Vermonter, and I couldn't disagree more with his conclusions. I'd also like to set the record straight on many of the misconceptions in his piece.
Hundreds of thousands of people live near wind farms around the world without experiencing health issues. Over 20 peer-reviewed studies have found no evidence of harm from proximity to wind turbines. Credible research from MIT, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Wisconsin Department of Public Health, and Canada's equivalent of the Department of Health and Human Services all come to the same conclusion — wind energy is safe.
Not only is it not a health risk, wind actually creates enormous public health benefits. In 2015 wind caused $7.3 billion in public health benefits by cutting pollution that would otherwise create unhealthy smog and trigger asthma attacks.
It's also totally inaccurate that wind companies receive upfront cash grants. Wind's primary incentive is a production-based tax credit, meaning companies only get credits if their projects are generating electricity.
I support wind energy because it creates a cleaner environment — Mr. Dubie fails to recognize that air pollution doesn't respect state borders. Wind also increases Vermont's tax revenue and attracts private investment into our economy. This helps keep taxes low and provides resources to better schools and fix roads. A lot of Vermonters support wind for good reason, despite Mr. Dubie's claims.
Tom Gray Former executive director (1981-1989) and director of communications (1994-2010) of the American Wind Energy Association
