Wind power opponents to make their case Tuesday

A public meeting will be held Tuesday night in Ulysses, epicenter of the region being targeted by international energy giant AES Corporation for an industrial wind plant.

The grassroots citizens' group "Save God's Country" will make a presentation at 7:00 p.m. in the Ulysses Firehall. Information on issues relating to the proposed construction of 79 wind turbines in that section of Potter County will be presented.

There's a split in public opinion over the wind plant. Supporters see the massive turbines as symbols of energy independence, as well as a source of tax revenue and modest employment. They are joined by landowners in Ulysses and Hector townships who stand to benefit economically.

On the other side are those who see the wind plant as an aesthetic and environmental nightmare being plotted by a company taking advantage of state and federal tax breaks and other government incentives.

Property owners in the vicinity of the proposed wind plant form the backbone of Save God's Country. They summarize their objections as follows: damaging health effects, noise pollution, negative impact on wildlife, declining property values, construction of new roads and underground transmission lines, shadow flicker, negative impact on tourism, visual intrusion on the landscape, and absence of any direct energy benefits for Potter County.

Members also warn of a broader strategy by AES and, potentially, other companies to exploit the northcentral Pennsylvania counties with dozens of additional turbines, each of which occupies a fiveacre plot and extends more than 400 feet into the air.

A National Fuel Gas Corp. subsidiary is studying sites in Cameron County for possible location of wind turbines. Initial assessments are taking place in the county's northwest corner, off Rt. 46 in Shippen Township, between Emporium and Smethport.

Meanwhile, at least two companies have approached property owners in Potter County's Hebron Township and the Dutch Hill area, between Coudersport and Austin. Wind energy companies have also contacted rural landowners in Tioga County to discuss leasing acreage for construction of turbines.

Save God's Country representatives last week met with the Potter County Board of Commissioners to seek support for a delay in the state permitting process so the wind plant's impact can be more thoroughly studied. A spokesman for the group expressed disappointment with the outcome.