Wind power 'Yes'

To the editor:

I strongly disagree with the statement from the National Wind Watch organization, claiming that "supporters of wind power routinely ignore an ever-growng mountain of data demonstrating this technology's ineffectiveness."

Also in error is this claim: "Wind turbines do not reduce the use of other fuels."

Such claims defy both common sense and scientific fact. Acual evidence indicates that the potential for wind power as a generating souce is enormous.

A recently produced global wind map compiled by Stanford University estimates that the capacity available in sites that could be economically tapped for wind power totals about 72 trillion watts of power. This is about 40 times the current global demand for electricity.

Every watt of power we use comes from somewhere. And every watt that comes from wind means one fewer watt from environmentally destructive energy sources such as coal.

Wind power is an environmentally and technologically cutting-edge power generation source that represents the potential of a significant and positive contribution to the economy and to our quality of life.

William Kinney University of Buffalo